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Though CB Brady has retinitis pigmentosa, he considers himself fortunate. At the age of 33, he still has some vision left. However, he's very concerned that his two sons may have inherited his potentially blinding disease and their vision loss will be worse. "Maybe my boys won't be so lucky," he says. When it comes to finding a cure for the vision-robbing condition that might affect his children, he's not counting on luck. Brady and his pals have formed Team Alaska Pride to compete in grueling adventure races around the country, and raise money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. They've collected more than $60,000 in the past year. "It's completely gratifying for me to do these races," says Brady. "It's a great way to stay motivated to raise money. And, it is gratifying to have my childhood friends just as motivated as I am." Adventure racing is all about motivation. These competitions demand strength, endurance, teamwork, and strategic thinking. Lasting anywhere from 6 to 24 hours, adventure races involve the navigation of a series of checkpoints across challenging terrain. A given race might require running, biking, climbing, kayaking, orhorseback ridingto get from one point to another. Teams are usually comprised of three or four members, and they have to stick together throughout the race; they can't be more than 100 feet from one another. If someone gets injured or drops out, the team is penalized. The first part of the competition involves plotting a route. If the team doesn't do that correctly, they won't finish. Over the past year, Team Alaska Pride has competed in adventure races in Maine (6 hours), Vermont (12 hours), and New Hampshire (24 hours). They hope to do an upcoming 12-hour event in New York. Brady says that often during the races, he thinks about his boys and the uncertain future for their vision. "That fear provides enormous incentive to find a cure," he says. "It's constantly on my mind. I get kind of emotional about it during a race when I see these two guys in front of me for 12 hours in 95-degree heat helping me out. They know my family and my boys, and they are so into it." Team Alaska Pride racers include: CB Brady, Paul Millwood, Jim Nigh, John Compton, and Chuck Jones. Support crew members include: Jeff Bassler, Colleen Compton, and Irina Harding. To learn more about Team Alaska Pride, or support the Foundation through their next adventure race, visit www.TeamAlaskaPride.org. Are you a marathon runner or competitive racer? You can use your racing effort to raise money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness through our Race to Cure Blindness program! To learn more visit www.RaceToCureBlindness.org. |
Instead, he's counting on a few childhood buddies and their passion for adventure racing to ensure that his sons' vision will never be lost.