On the Colorado River between Kremmling and State Bridge, 50 adventure athletes are putting their minds and bodies to work. From the elite adventure athletes to novice participants, 10 teams of five are mountain biking, rafting, climbing, swimming, and rappelling their way through a rugged outdoor adventure course.

What makes this race different from other adventure challenges is the composition of the teams. Every team competing in the 2008 Real Deal Inclusive Sports Adventure has two participants with disabilities, including one wheelchair-user.

The Program: Focus on Ability, Not Disability
There is more to this message than crossing the finish line first. The Real Deal is about showcasing the power of teamwork and demonstrating how integrated teams can do the seemingly impossible. This race is about focusing on ability, not disability.
 
“This is a real pioneering event,” explains organizer Chris Carrigg, executive director of World T.E.A.M. Sports, a nonprofit sports organization that conceives and executes innovative sporting events for people with and without disabilities.

“It is truly cutting-edge when you combine challenges like climbing, canoeing, zip line, mountain biking and orienteering, and make it all inclusive by adding team members with disabilities," Carrigg says. "There’s not really anyone else out there that is doing what we are in this outdoor environment.”

Think you might be up for it? The 2008 event began at 8,500 feet with a 12-mile mountain bike ride, followed by a 12-mile paddle and climb to an overnight camp. The second day of competition started with a 4-mile paddle followed by a mandatory swim for two non-climbing team members through class 2-3 Cable Rapids, a 7-mile paddle, and finally a 12-mile hike to the finish.

And for upwards of 17 hours of racing, the Real Deal included enough elevation changes and team challenges to make even the most elite adventure athlete take notice.

The Participants—Blind, Paralyzed, Amputee—Elite Athletes
Among the athletes competing in the 2008 Real Deal were paraplegic Steve Ackerman, who handcycled around the world in 1995; multiple Ironman finisher and single-arm amputee Willie Stewart; Paralympic skiing gold medalist Sarah Will; and Erik Weihenmayer, the only blind climber to successfully climb the Seven Summits, including Everest.

The History of the Real Deal
The idea for the Real Deal was born from Erik Weihenmayer's experiences during the 2003 Primal Quest race in the Sierra Nevadas. Of the 80 teams that entered, only 44 finished; many of those who did not finish had initially questioned why Weihenmayer was there in the first place.

In the end, Weihenmayer’s team beat 40 able-bodied teams. And he took the challenge to another level by dreaming up an adventure race that actually featured those with disabilities.

The idea gained life when Weihenmayer shared his idea with Carrigg in 2007.

“Last year was our recon year and we held the event on a smaller course with only a few teams,” says Carrigg. “This year we really added a lot of cutting- edge challenges and built on our experience by adding everything from some active problem-solving challenges to a ropes course, zip line, and rappelling.”

The Thrill
The sight of the teams moving through the course was inspiring.

“I was right on top of a 70-foot rock overlooking the Colorado River and watched as the teams came down the river," Carrigg recalls. "They had to split up on a challenge where one participant climbed the rock, another rappelled down, and a third took a zip line right across the Colorado River before they regrouped. Everyone from the camera crews to the volunteers and spectators were blown away by what they witnessed.”

While Carrigg asserts that most World T.E.A.M. Sports events are not competitive by design, he believes that the Real Deal is a bit different.

“Humans are by nature competitive, and in an event like this we really see competition not so much in how the teams push themselves against everyone else, but also how they push each other," Carrigg says. "Although there is a clock running, there is an element of teamwork that permeates every challenge, and that really shows what we are trying to do. It is incredibly inspiring.”

The 2008 Real Deal Inclusive Sports Adventure took place June 27-29, 2008, and were televised as part of NBC's World of Adventure Sports in November. 

For more information, visit World T.E.A.M. Sports.

Photos Courtesy of World T.E.A.M. Sports