Mad. Respect. You should have it too….here’s why.
I got called in from the bullpen. I have a decent arm, but a slightly better voice for commentating. The guys from Echelon Racing League and Project Echelon called me up to assist in commentating the final race of their virtual season. Absolutely I will. There are many reasons why, but one reason has resonated with me for years. (Ever since I commentated Para Worlds with Randy Ferguson). It’s THE ATHLETES. Their stories. Their history. Their resilience.
Para athletes are incredible. What Project Echelon does for them and the accomplishments that para-athletes achieve is not lost on me. They have DAILY challenges that we can’t possibly understand.
The Echelon racing league features elite categories, amateur categories, and para categories. The para indoor trainer setups are, quite frankly, mind-blowing. The energy, the time, and the positivity with which para-athletes train are immeasurable. God, I get pissed when getting dropped in a race. Really? Trivial compared to what some of these athletes have gone through.
Let me be clear. Most, if not all, don’t want or need woe-is-me mojo. They want to kick everyone's ass just like able-bodied athletes. I would venture to guess maybe more so.
I am fortunate to be able to call the Para World Cup Memorial day weekend 2023. Now that I’ve commentated dozens of para races (including Worlds and Nationals) my respect grows each day. Yesterday's virtual racing just added more layers to that respect.
Join Brad and I in Huntsville. If you can’t be there, watch it online. Come, and be amazed..
Tailwinds,
Chad
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