Finished… with Grace - Read a moving thank you to TDL family from Jason Weckworth on Race4Life blog:  My favorite quote from RAAM this year came from our Crew Chief (and my wife), Kristen. “You need a tremendous amount of grace to be a part of RAAM.”  Read more on the blog.  Ric Perez left this comment to Jason:

Jason and all TDL teams,

I know that I speak for many who have followed the TDL teams from home when I say congratulations for a tremendous effort! You have all been on our minds (and on our computer screens) throughout the week. Thanks for the inspiration that you have provided to all of us.

The riders, crew and all who have supported you are to be congratulated for your amazing accomplishments and for the way you have brought significant attention to our cause.

We are so proud of you all!

Ric Perez

From Kent Mulkey, Team Donate Life Director and racer:

Dwight,

It was an honor to be associated with you and the Grace Valley team in RAAM 07. You guys were the talk of the race. When I met with the RAAM PR folks the other day in AC, they asked me how you “did it.” I explained that I believed it was the commonality of your faith and the desire to complete every aspect of the race with excellence and to honor God that created the environment to average 20.7 mph - a stunning finish indeed. Congratulations.

Kent 

July 9 Davis Enterprise Sports page article about Team Donate Life Grace Valley.  Bob Dunning wrote about TDL-GV in his Friday June 22 Davis Enterprise column and interviewed Dwight Morejohn on his Sirius satellite radio program.  

46 “Senior” Cyclists in RAAM 2007 (yes you, Dwight and Ron). RAAM press release in Nebraska Cycling News and Spokepost:

Congratulations to Team Donate Life - Grace Valley, who placed 2nd in this year’s RAAM 8 Person Team Division. Finishing in a time of 6 days 02:56 and averaging a speed of 20.71mph were riders Dwight Morejohn, Marc Friedheim, Adam Abildgaard, Rick Neptune, Ronald Lewis, Justin Morejohn, Steve Jackura, Greg Chapla and Dwight Morejohn. This 8 person team of 7 rookie riders and 1 returning RAAM veteran have trained together for many years. The entire team (riders & crew) attend Grace Valley Christian Center, a non-denominational church located in Davis, CA. Together they have raised over $50,000.

Team Donate Life - Grace Valley proved to be another team which surprised RAAM fans with a group of predominantly “weekend warriors” that demonstrated a respectable chase to the national class athletes on winning Team Type 1. Other highlights of the Team Donate Life - Grace Valley squad were a father / son duo (Morejohn) and the use of a classic 1961 Cinelli racing bicycle. Who says you need the latest equipment to be competitive?

Team Donate Life is dedicated to raising awareness to encourage people across America to sign up on their own state’s organ and tissue donor registry; to find out about your state’s registry, go to: www.donatelife.net. More than 97,000 Americans are on the waitlist for the gift of life; one-third of them will die as they wait. TDL cyclists also encourage fundraising for organ transplant research and public education efforts, as well as forming cycling communities to raise community awareness. To learn more, go to: www.teamdonatelife.com. 

San Mateo County Times (insidebayarea.com) News article about Dante Ravetti, on whose behalf Team Donate Life Grace Valley rode, written as the team rode into Kansas from Colorado.  It presents the mission of Team Donate Life by interviews with Greg Chapla and Katherine Doolittle of Golden State Donor Services.  The Tallahassee Democrat mentions TDLGV as near the front of the corporate pack, as does Cycling News.  West Valley Views highlights another adopted waiting list recipient.   

The Daily Herald in reporting on Team Type I’s first-place, says they were 10 hours ahead of their nearest competition (TDLGV).  It was really 11 hours, but if TDLGV had not been in the race, Team Type I would have been 14 hours ahead of their nearest competition.  It is a nice article about some experiences of this team.  8-man Team Type I sets their sights on going all-diabetic pro next year and someday doing Tour de France according to this interview with Phil Southerland.  Preliminary results show they set a new 8-person team record for RAAM.  Davis Enterprise Sports department writes up UCD grad student Matt Vogel of winning Team Type I, says TDL-GV sports section article upcoming…(appeared July 9).  KXJZ has July 10 radio interview with UCD student Matt Vogel of winning Team Team Type I about his race experiences (broadcast includes Floyd Landis interview).

RAAM links to the WorldNetDaily article by Jay Baggett about Team Donate Life - Grace Valley.  VeloNews video interview with Terry Zmrhal, RAAM race director on 6/17, on running RAAM 2007.  RAAM in Competitor Magazine.  An article about what it’s like to run a time station in a town in Missouri.  TDL Sponsor OS Performance Nutrition news items 1 and 2

That whole thing about there being a Starbucks with WiFi access at every street corner?

Not true on the RAAM route. Makes sense, since we took the back roads of this great nation — usually far from the conveniences of major interstate highways.

Finally, finally have WiFi access to post some vids from the road. These won’t be as good as some of the stuff Adam Ray and Mike shot with video cameras (we have over 32 hours of footage!), but hopefully you all will be able to see some of that as we start talking about a commemorative DVD.

This first one is of a crew and rider transition near West Alton, MO, only a few miles from the mighty Mississippi. Nothing will ever capture the tension, energy, busyness, and excitement of one of our full transitions, but hopefully this will do it some justice.

This next one is of a rider transition in one of the flatter parts of Colorado. 25 miles per hour doesn’t sound very fast, but I can assure you that there were some tense moments in the Follow vehicle chasing riders at this speed.

All of the riders faced physical and mental obstacles to complete the race. This is a video that shows Adam all fired up to ride again after needing to sit out a few shifts. His enthusiasm was infectious for both riders and crew alike.

The crew had a tough job — taking on everything that would distract riders from their sole duties of riding, eating, sleeping, and riding some more. We lost a lot of sleep and like the riders had our own trying moments, but I doubt you’d find a single person on this team that comes away with a negative experience. Together, we built up our bond of unity in Christ, and bore each others burdens with joy … and humor.

Team Donate Life Grace Valley highlight excerpt from Chews’ Views Day 9 (read the whole article for other TDL teams’ mention and exciting race details):

Team RAAM

The 2nd 8 person Team Donate Life – Grace Valley arrived in Atlantic City on Monday just after dusk, nearly 6 hours after Team Psycho. They all attend Grace Valley Christian Center. Riders and crew have raised over $50,000 since January for organ donation and transplant. Dr. Rick Perez started the first RAAM Donate Life Team in 2005. He raced last year on a team with Dwight Morejohn, and last year’s solo Enduro winner Jonathan Boyer raced for DL. Dwight was the captain of this year’s Team DL – Grace Valley, which included his son Justin. There are a total of 6 Donate Life Teams this year: two 2 person teams, one 4 person team, & three 8 person teams including the all women’s team Heels On Wheels. The team commented, “God gave me two kidneys for a reason, and you can have one of mine.” Dwight has the oldest bike in RAAM – a 1961 Cinelli he has been riding since 1971. In transcontinental tradition, team members swam in the Atlantic Ocean, and dipped their front wheel in the ocean after dipping their rear wheel in the Pacific Ocean before leaving Oceanside 6 days ago.

Here is a picture of Dwight Morejohn’s Cinelli in 1971, on one of his early bike tours - after high school he rode it up the West coast into Canada.  Wife Kate adds: “Like those pannniers and high tech sleeping bag! Dwight definitely was “old-school” on that bike trip up the coast - no helmet, either. There were no bike helmets in those days; when we rode the Bikecentennial in ‘76, we bought rock climbing helmets and Dwight drilled holes in them to give us some ventilation!”

RAAM relief outreach to tornado-struck Greensburg KS our riders rode through.

The drivers and crew woke up this morning to clean out the rental vehicles for return.  They spoke to Team Donate Life Primo (post-race article) who finished.  Also read inspiring race blog by Primo racer Matt Byers.  Some went to the beach.  Ron Lewis wants to go on a bike ride - he must have developed a habit this last week!  They are doing some relaxing today, have a banquet tonight.

We are sorry to hear that the driver for Team Donate Life Heels on Wheels Harish Prasad got word that his father passed away suddenly and had to leave the crew.  The team is still on the course.  We extend our sympathy and prayers to Harish.

I purchased these three images - may be copied for personal use only

Finish Line Pictures! Banquet Picture!  Rick Neptune watching Race4Life on podium.  Steve Jackura and Greg Chapla (not Ron Lewis) in gorgeous Colorado in two of the Best Photos of RAAM 2007! Also Ron Lewis media interview on the road.

Today on June 18 Team Donate Life Grace Valley crossed the finish line in Atlantic City, New Jersey at 8:19 PM ET (5:19 PM PT) to take second place in their 8-man division and fourth place overall in the field of 39 teams.  They raced 3043 miles across the country from Oceanside to Atlantic City in 6 days 2 hours and 56 minutes, averaging 20.71 mph, a new TDL record.

…if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. - Acts 20:24b

In their speeches the riders spoke of Jesus Christ, who made the greatest donation of life.

The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me - Galatians 2:20b

Team Donate Life - Grace Valley Completes RAAM!

June 18, 2007 - 22:06 — Perry Stone

Congratulations to Team Donate Life - Grace Valley, who placed 2nd in this year’s RAAM 8 Person Team Division. Finishing in a time of 6 days 02:56 and averaging a speed of 20.71mph were riders Dwight Morejohn, Marc Friedheim, Adam Abildgaard, Rick Neptune, Ronald Lewis, Justin Morejohn, Steve Jackura, Greg Chapla and Dwight Morejohn. This 8 person team of 7 rookie riders and 1 returning RAAM veteran have trained and rode together for many years. The entire team (riders & crew) attends Grace Valley Christian Center, a non-denominational church located in Davis, CA. Together they have raised over $50k

Team Donate Life is dedicated to raising awareness to encourage people across America to sign up on their own state’s organ and tissue donor registry; to find out about your state’s registry, go to: www.donatelife.net. More than 97,000 Americans are on the waitlist for the gift of life; one-third of them will die as they wait. TDL cyclists also encourage fundraising for organ transplant research and public education efforts, as well as forming cycling communities to raise community awareness. To learn more, go to: www.teamdonatelife.com.

Aliotsy here, posting from noe’s blackberry. Not much time, but just wanted to thank you all for the support, especially your prayers. We have less than 15 miles to go before we meet our police escort into atlantic city, and we know we’ll arrive borne up by the prayers of the saints. Our spirits are high. Our God has been faithful in watching over us, especially in the last two days, which saw many changes to our plans. Gotta go - helping navigate riders to time station 56. Rick riding with Greg for this bit - much excitement and smiles.

Team Donate Life - Grace Valley

June 18, 2007 - 11:24 — Perry Stone

Team Donate Life - Grace Valley is maintain an approximate 3 hour lead over third place Cheniere’s Making Cancer History Team. TDL-Grace Valley has maintained an average speed of 20.74 miles per hour and are working very hard to stay over the 20mph mark and to stay ahead of the rest of the field.

Team Donate Life is dedicated to raising awareness to encourage people across America to sign up on their own state’s organ and tissue donor registry; to find out about your state’s registry, go to: www.donatelife.net. More than 97,000 Americans are on the waitlist for the gift of life; one-third of them will die as they wait. TDL cyclists also encourage fundraising for organ transplant research and public education efforts, as well as forming cycling communities to raise community awareness. To learn more, go to: www.teamdonatelife.com.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever - I Corinthians 9:23-25 

TDLGV arrived in Rouzerville PA at 6:36 AM.  TDLGV is predicted in Hanover PA at 8:30 AM CA time.  They check in at 8:41.  They are predicted in Georgetown PA at 12 to 12:15 PM CA time.  Making GOOD time, 20.71 mi/hr, they check in at 12 high noon CA time!  They are predicted at Del Mem Bridge NJ at 2:10 to 2:30 PM CA time.  They check in at 2:10!  They are predicted at second-to-last time station McKee City NJ at 4:35 PM CA time.  They check in at McKee NJ at 4:37.  Only 14.4 miles to go!  Predicted time to Atlantic City is 5:18 PM CA time!  They cross the finish line at 5:19 PM!  They maintained an average speed across 3043 miles of 20.71 mph.  They are onstage at the boardwalk.  A new TDL record!

Still in Pennsylvania, Erica just interrupted her phone call with me to call out the window to the man driving the Amish buggy, “Your left rear wheel is loose!”  I am not kidding you.  I hope they passed him giving him a wide berth, the horses can be skittish.

8-man Team Type I has crossed the finish line in Atlantic City at 5:28 and with penalty 6:13 AM CA time.  4-man Beaver Creek - Catlin finished at 8:35 and with penalty 8:50 AM CA time.  4-man Team Psycho finished at 11:30 and with penalty 12:15 PM CA time.  TDLGV is in 4th position overall.  The next team predicted to arrive at Atlantic City is Team Donate Life Grace Valley, with no penalties (a goal of team and crew)!  The prediction at this point in the race is arrival between 5:16 and 5:18 PM CA time!  Cheniere’s and ViaSat are very close together 3 hours behind Grace Valley.  The gap between them is not as large as arrival times indicate because Cheniere’s has penalty time.  North Coast is 4 hours behind TDLGV. 

Team ViaSat’s log is an interesting read, they have had some troubles, even had to phone a bike shop owner to ask him to open his shop just to sell them a needed part.  North Coast has a spiritual motivation, to race to show God’s love.  Chelsea Pearson is a North Coast rider along with her husband, and RAAM-famous Pete and brother Jim Penseyres.  Pete’s 1986 long-standing RAAM solo record may be challenged this year.

Race tools:  chart, Google Earth, Race Animation, Team ViaSat live video http://mfile.akamai.com/22774/live/reflector:53345.asx?bkup=57486&prop=n from 3 hours behind TDLGV, Rider hometowns

From Team Type I’s blog:
the Tour de France is 2178 miles in 3 weeks. This has been 3060 miles in 5 and a half days (Matthew Vogel age 31 on the team is from Davis). 

From Chew’s Views posted 5:03 CA time:

Team RAAM:  The time gaps between the teams continue to grow. The overall leading Team Type 1 (8 person) has increased its lead to 2:43 over Beaver Creek-Catlin (4 person) by TS#46 in Parkersburg, WV, with 500 miles to go. The 2nd place 4 person Team Psycho has fallen to 1:12 behind Beaver Creek. The 2nd place 8 person Team Donate Life – Grace Valley has fallen to over 7 hours behind Psycho and 11 hours behind Type 1. The 3rd place 8 person Team ViaSat has fallen to 2:42 behind Grace Valley. The 4th place 8 person Cheniere’s Making Cancer History Team has closed to within 15 minutes of ViaSat. Solo RAAM finisher Dave Tanner’s Hoosiers Team is 8th among 18 four person teams.

In the 2 person team RAAM at TS#37 in Effingham, IL, Swiss Team IWC Schaffhausen (Hape Narr & Urs Samtleben) reduced their lead to 5:15 over the recumbent Team Velokraft. Velokraft is pulling away (increased their lead to 1:06) from their recumbent competition Bacchetta B Team Military Families Foundation.

In the 2 person mixed division, Team Donate Life – Beauty & the Beast built up a 19 hour lead over Team Kitten in Colorado, but Beauty & the Beast’s is down to just one ride – Deborah Georges. She has decided to carry her team, and is proceeding along like a solo rider. With the help of her partner for the first 1,100 miles, can she finish officially? At TS#26 in Pratt, Beauty & the Beasts lead over Team Kitten has shrunken to 13:46. At TS#28 in El Dorado, KS 1,566 miles in, Beauty & the Beasts speed was 13.79 mph. Since the teams left 53 hours after the solo riders, their flat time limit for official finisher status is 10 days flat – correlating to a speed of 12.72 mph. This means that over the next 1,500 miles, Deborah’s speed can only drop 1.07 mph.

Jun 18, 2007 - 09:16 Team Donate Life - Beauty & the Beast

Deborah Georges, the lone remaining rider of Beauty & the Beast crashed earlier today while descending into Camdenton, MO.  RAAM reports that she does not appear to be seriously injured, but she was taken to a local hospital for examination and her race future is uncertain

- Please pray for Deborah Georges, that she is alright, and if possible, can continue her race. 

This just in from TDL crew member Heidi Landis in Atlantic City:

“She had to go to a hospital somewhere in Missouri…broken collar bone and 10 +/- ribs. UGH!!! Not sure if  they’ll drive the rest of the course and meet us here……..crew seemed to think so.”

See other Team Donate Life teams’ blogs at http://www.teamdonatelife.com to see what fellow teams are experiencing.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus - Philippians 3:12-14

The team and crew plan worship together this Lord’s day (staggered services?).  This is a Pilgrim Church (This world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ thru…).  Happy Father’s Day to the fathers and grandfathers on team and crew.  Your families are proud of you and pray for you…

TDLGV checked into Putnamville IN at 11:50 PM CA time.  Then on to Indianapolis IN at 2:10 AM, and Cambridge City IN at 4:50.  They are predicted in Troy OH at 7:52 AM CA time.  They check in at 7:37 AM CA time speeding 2 mph over-average 22.74 mi/hr this leg!  They are predicted in London OH around 10:30 AM CA time.  They check in at 10:02 making VERY good time.  While we were at church, they checked into Circleville OH at 11:40.  They are predicted in Athens OH at 2:15.  They check in at 2:16 PM CA time.  They are predicted at Parkersburg, WV at 4:10 PM CA time.  They check in at 4:09. They are predicted at Smithburg WV at 6:25 PM CA time.  They checked in at 6:24 PM.  They are predicted in Grafton WV at 8:37 PM CA time.  They check in at 8:48 PM.  The last seven stations before this hilly ground have been substantially over their average speed, the hills slowed them just a bit.  They are now in the hills at night, up and down, up and down, so pray for them.  Is it hills of  Appalachia or Allegeny?  They are predicted in Gormania WV around 11 PM CA time.  They checked in at 11:35.  The hills are tough.  They are predicted in La Vale MD at 1:45 to 2:30 AM CA time. They checked in at 2:03 AM.  They arrive in Hancock MD at 4:17 AM CA time.  The are predicted in Rouzerville PA at 6:38 AM CA time.  Photo of Rick Neptune from Horseshoe Bend Road near Troy OH.

There was a reporting error that had TDLGV skipping a station, and the chart showed them on a pace to catch up with Team Psycho in a station or two!  I printed the chart in the couple minutes before RAAM corrected the error to show Ron what the team accomplished on his shift, just for fun!  Back to reality…

RAAM Video Update 12 with Ron Lewis and Marc Friedheim! The blur above is Adam Abildgaard at a Time Station in Kansas.  See other team and crew members!

RAAM posts a map from Parkersburg to Atlantic City. 

A RAAM fan’s helpful chart to chart teams’ relative positions, distance spread and speed trajectories.  Look for the TDLGV magenta trajectory in fourth place overall.  Other charts.  Scroll down the blog to see Google Earth links, ViaSat live video and more fun features for following the race.

They have raced 2775 miles from Oceanside at an average speed of 20.73 mi/hr.  Now, 24 hours times 20.73 mi/hr is 498 miles per day!  TDLGV is predicted to arrive at the finish line in Atlantic City between 6 and 7 PM ET June 18, which is between 3 and 4 PM CA time, God willing and by grace and mercy.

8-man Team Type I - monitored by: Freestyle all-diabetic team is in first position 10 hours in front of TDLGV.  I understand one Team Type I member is a UCD MBA grad student.  4-man Team Beaver Creek - Catlin is 7.5 hours ahead of TDLGV, and 4-man Team Psycho is 6.5 hours ahead.  TDLGV is in fourth overall position.  Behind TDLGV are 8-man teams Team ViaSat 3 hours behind, then Cheniere’s Making Cancer History Team only 14 minutes behind ViaSat.  The 8-man North Coast Cycling Team is four hours behind TDLGV.  This team includes two 60+ year old brothers, one a RAAM two time solo winner and solo speed (15.4 mph) record holder for 21 years, the other RAAM veteran brother missing part of his leg.  They hail from North Coast Church in Vista, and one pastor is riding and another pastor is on the crew.  They represent North Coast Community Services.  RAAM considered them to be the ones chasing TDLGV to the Atlantic coast in the feature article they wrote about TDLGV, which is on the homepage of RAAM still. 

At Circleville OH Cheniere’s Making Cancer History Team overtook Team ViaSat for 3rd in 8-man division and 5th cross division standing.  They are both riding in excess of 25 mi/hr.  At Athens OH both going 22.23 Cheniere’s clocks in 3 minutes ahead of ViaSat at 4:52 PM CA time.  They soon fell a few minutes behind ViaSat again. Then 5 minutes ahead.

Leader Team Type I received a 30 minute penalty after leaving Grafton WV for 45 minutes total penalty.  They are predicted to arrive in Atlantic City between 7:30 and 8:30 AM ET June 18. 

Team Donate Life news on RAAM -from Chew’s Views:
In Eastern Kansas, we stopped to talk with Team Donate Life – Grace Valley. They have a 12 person crew with 5 vehicles. Shortly before we met them, they rode past an accident site where a vehicle had hit and killed a bull. Solo rider Pete Bajiema hit a bull near the Utah/Wyoming border in the 2000 RAAM, and DNFed at 1,166 miles. Grace Valley also told me that another team saw a grizzly bear in the Rocky Mountains. Back from their 2006 team, Dwight Morejohn rides a 1961 Cinelli with a homemade seatpost.
AND-
Team Donate Life – Beauty and the Beast were such a team they decided to be two teams. Kent Mulkey has joined Team Donate Life-TexOz as a crew member and Deborah Georges is attempting to finish RAAM 2007 as a solo rider.

Kent Mulkey is the organizer of all six Team Donate Life teams.

Team Donate Life Report on the road on RAAM - by Jason Weckworth of Team Donate Life, Inc.  Board of Directors and Rider

Racers Approach Finish on RAAM talks about the solo riders and the three teams in front of us.

Team Donate Life - Grace Valley by Perry Stone at www.raceacrossamerica.org

This GOOD article mentions Dwight’s 40-year old Cinelli bike.  Kate gives the background:

Dwight got it in 1971 from a potter in the hills of San Juan Bautista, CA, who used to be a cyclist/racer and owned the Cinelli and envied Dwight’s Schwinn Varsity and its ability to be a “mountain bike”.  So they traded and Dwight became the proud owner of a 1961 handmade Italian bike - a Cinelli.