By ECHO ROSS

It’s been a long and at some points grueling season for adventure racers Greg and Denise McHale, but everyone knows success doesn’t come easy, and this past season was certainly successful for the Yukon duo.
As part of Team Supplierpipeline, the McHales joined with Ontario teammates Bob Miller and Scott Ford for a fourth place finish at Primal Quest, the largest adventure race in the world, earlier this year in Utah.
Following Primal Quest, the team took a few months off from international competition as Greg battled a staph infection he suffered from a leg injury in Utah. In October, they returned to action at the Extreme Adventure Hidalgo in Mexico.
A four-day, 300-kilometre stage race, Hidalgo offered the typical adventure course of running, trekking, mountain biking, rope work and paddling – although the paddling portion had its own local twist.
“We paddled local Mexican boats,” explained Denise. “They were very tippy. I think it’s entertainment for the locals.”
Thankfully, the McHales had been in the same type of boat before, so it wasn’t too much of an adjustment. Up against some tough pro teams, including rival Nike PowerBlast – a team the McHale’s have publicly vowed to beat before they retire – Team Supplierpipeline finished second overall, ahead of Nike.
The only team ahead of them boasted a local Mexican athlete, so they certainly had an edge in the navigation portion of the race.
Greg and Denise agreed the toughest portion of the race for the Canadian crew was probably the mountain biking.
“Living in the Yukon, we’re not always able to be out on trails,” Greg explained. “So we’re going from a spinning machine to racing in the mountains. It’s certainly difficult.”
A second-place finish and $12,500 in the books, the McHales were able to return home for just three weeks before they headed to a second race in Mexico at the end of November.
The Nuevo Leon Outdoor Challenge took place in the surrounding area of Monterrey, hosting the top international teams in the world. Run by the same director and in the same format as the Hidalgo race, Nuevo Leon provided Greg and Denise with the chance to challenge themselves against some tougher opponents.
While Hidalgo featured six good professional teams, the second event had close to a dozen top teams. Unfortunately for Team Supplierpipeline, bad luck would strike in the mountain biking stage, en route to a third-place finish.
They had four flat tires on the last 20 kilometres of Stage 2. At that point, the top five teams were within five minutes of each other and the Canadians lost an estimated 20 minutes on that section, which they couldn’t make up.
“On Day 3, we had another flat tire and Denise fell off her bike and scraped her face,” said Greg. “It was just really unfortunate.
“The first-place team and I think even the second-place team, neither of them had a flat tire all race. That’s just the way it goes.”
Overall, said Greg, they still had a better race at Monterrey.
“We didn’t place as well, but I think we were fitter.”
“I think we pushed hard at the appropriate times,” added Denise. “We were trying to find that balance of pushing as hard as you can, but not going so hard you’re going to pay for it later.”
Not only were they pleased with their personal performances, but the McHales returned home knowing they accomplished another goal – beating Nike in both Mexico races.
“(Beating Nike) happened a little bit earlier that we expected, so we’re happy about that,” smiled Denise. “It was certainly on the list of things we wanted to accomplish.”
As good as it felt to come out ahead of Nike, Greg was adamant it’s a friendly rivalry between the two teams.
“They’re not only fantastic athletes, but fantastic people as well. You can’t hate them too much.”
At home and back on the job now, after taking a couple of weeks to enjoy the lighter side of Mexico, the duo is trying to figure out their next move.
While this racing season is over, it’s only a few months before the 2007 scene gets hopping. However, there’s no rush for the Yukoners, insisted Denise.
“We’re taking at least a few weeks off. I can’t wait to work out once a day like a normal person and relax a little more. You really need that break. You have to let go a little bit and not worry about it too much.”
One thing the McHales are sure of is that the next race they enter will have more kilometres. There’s an expedition race in Argentina in March that they’re aiming for.
“It’s 550 km, so that’ll be good,” said Greg. “After two kind of sprint races, it’ll be good to get back to a longer race.
“I think we surprised ourselves in those two races, how well we ran. But I think we like expedition ones more. Unsupported is better than supported.”
“I like (expedition races) because they’re a little bit slower,” added Denise. “They’re not as as stressful, so I feel like I can keep up with the guys more.”
Team Supplierpipeline is definitely planning to return to Primal Quest next summer as well, although the dates and location have yet to be announced. All they’ve heard is it’s outside of North America in 2007.
After Primal Quest, they hope to get one more mid-summer race in before heading back to Mexico next fall.
“This was definitely our best season, so we’re starting to see more potential,” said Denise. “Before this year, we were at the front end of the mid-pack and there was always kind of a gap between us and the top pack. Now, we’ve really closed that, which is exciting. We’re not finishing 12 hours behind anymore.”
“Now, we’re beating those teams we’ve idolized over the past five years,” added Greg.
Meanwhile, on tap locally, Greg and Denise will once again be organizing the Yukon Adventure Challenge, a 24-36 hour race geared toward both beginner and elite athletes. There is no date for the 2007 event yet, but the course has already been set and it’s apparently a lot more scenic than last year.

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by: Lala C. Ballatan

For us who are still young enough, we really haven’t discover yet how frustrating it is to become paralyzed/disabled or impaired after leading an active and normal life. Or for those of us who haven’t gotten into serious injury that impaired our motor skills, we really have no knowledge how devastating it could be to lie helpless and immobile. Sometimes, for those who have experienced this kind of physical pain and anguish over being paralyzed, the frustration is doubled when paralysis prevents them from ever doing their favorite sport or activity.

I do love biking. As a child I would go on late night biking around our village just to feel the exhilaration of experiencing a different kind of freedom. Biking gives me a sense of awareness over every part of my body being alive and active. I dread the day that I’ll grow old enough or be paralyzed and unable to ride a bike anymore! Oh, but it is dreadful to be deprived of the pleasure of riding a bike, again!

It’s quite good to note then that some people are appreciative of the bike for the paralyzed, reported on the BBC news on November 15, 2004, like Eleanor Freewheeling has expressed at http://ewheeling.over-blog.com/article-17631.html on November 23, 2004.

According to the BBC news, people paralyzed by spinal cord injuries could soon be able to go out biking.

The ‘bike’ is a sort of tricycle which scientists say, works by stimulating the legs electrically. This bike will not only provide a means of transport and recreation, but should also stop muscle wastage and could provide more mobility for the disabled user.

This technique considered as FES (functional electrical stimulation) tricycling has been developed by teams from University College London (UCL) and the University of Glasgow. FES involves stimulating paralyzed muscles by passing short pulses of current through electrodes on the skin. A stimulator synchronizes the stimulation with the pedal position while the person has a ‘throttle’ to control how much stimulation is applied - rather like a motor bike with the legs as the engine.

Within a year, we should be expecting the availability of this device, dubbed as the ‘recumbent tricycle’. Professor Nick Donaldson, one of the members of the team said that this device will help get the impaired people back into exercising safely. This will do them a lot of good since these disabled persons may not be open to the option of exercising, yet. The only current way being applied to wheelchair-bound persons’ in order to exercise the paralyzed muscles is by electrical stimulation. But it was not much fun to just stimulate the muscles during special sessions.

Thus in developing the bike, the team was to create a system where wheelchair athletes can use from home and will be fun to use. The new tricycle can be used at home to train the muscles while stationary, or for recreation outdoors.

About The Author
Lala B. is a 26 year-old Communication Arts graduate, with a major in Journalism. Right after graduating last 1999, she worked for one year as a clerk then became a Research, Publication and Documentation Program Director at a non-government organization, which focuses on the rights, interests and welfare of workers for about four years.

Book reading has always been her greatest passion — mysteries, horrors, psycho-thrillers, historical documentaries and classics. She got hooked into it way back when she was but a shy kid.

Her writing prowess began as early as she was 10 years old in girlish diaries. With writing, she felt freedom – to express her viewpoints and assert it, to bring out all concerns — imagined and observed, to bear witness.

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carmelo@wheelchairspower.com

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by: James Brown

There is nothing like the freedom of the open road and the feel of the sheer power of your wheels. However before you rush out to try your new vehicle there are a few things to think about.

Choice of bike: if this is your first bike do not spend a large amount of money. Bear in mind that you will not be keeping your first set of wheels for long. You will do a lot of learning and need a cheap but sturdy bike to start on.

· Test driving- There are many different types of bikes so always test drive them and get the feel of the bike before you buy.

· Don’t get stuck with a ‘dud’. Try to find a more experienced friend to help you check out your purchase. Educate yourself on the bikes you like before going to the dealer or buying from a private party.

· Try to get a good used bike at first-cheaper and good for practice.

Safety: There are more accidents on the road involving bikes than ever before. To save you from a gnarly accident here are a few tips:

· Places to be careful of-intersections

· The culprits-an easy guess, cars violating your rights. They often turn out in front of you.

· How do you get hit-you are a small vehicle and people simply don’t see you. There is always a certain amount of drunk drivers.

· How to make yourself more conspicuous. Make sure that you are dressed in a colored jacket and helmet. Your clothing and helmet should have reflectors on them for night riding. Consider taking a course, this will teach you a lot of safety tips and how to control your bike to avoid accidents. Wear proper eye protection to ensure maximum vision.

· Protect yourself with; full coverage headgear, heavy boots and jacket with gloves.

Maintaining your “wheels” and looking after your bike is very important. Always keep your bike in good condition. Learn all that you can about looking after your wheels yourself and also take your bike to the shop for regular check ups and oil changes.

Choosing the right insurance: biking has its own dangers it’s part of the territory, so you will need to get some good coverage for you and your bike. Remember to shop around to find the best prices and value for money. You can check online and in your yellow pages for insurance companies.

You’re ready to hit the road: Now comes the exciting part trying out your new wheels! Try to do this on a quiet road and everyday. It is good to get a bit of practice and build up your confidence before hitting the streets. When you feel confident go out on the road at a less busy time and work up your confidence. Use a little caution at first to avoid getting into accidents.

About The Author

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