Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Rowing to Russia: Paul Ridley and Friends' Arctic Row 2012

Yesterday, I watched live feed of the Ironman Lake Placid finish line.  It gave me goosebumps to watch "ordinary" people finish an extraordinary event.  One finisher, Kelley, is a friend who battled breast cancer this year.  It was inspirational to see her cross the finish line with a smile from ear to ear.  She and I raced our first Ironman together in Lake Placid in 2010.  I still remember seeing her in high spirits out on the run course - quite the opposite of how I was feeling.  Man, she has endless energy!

Recently, I came across an extraordinary adventure of a different kind: Arctic Row.

Paul Ridley, one of Arctic Row's rowers, and I graduated from Binghamton High School together.  In 2009, I followed his Row for Hope that involved crossing the Atlantic Ocean to raise funds for cancer research.    This time, he's not rowing solo and he'll be in a much chillier climate.  Check out the Arctic Row website www.arcticrow.com for more info!