Talley and Paul Webb
Race Across The West
Fundraising for Sky's the Limit Fund
Story
Race Across the West is now done! and what an adventure, please see below for a summary of what happened.
Now that I have had a few days post RAW to recharge and reflect, I thought it was time to add my side of the story. This was an incredible journey, both literally and emotionally. I set out with a naive goal of winning and blazing a trail. However, i simply wasn't ready for the record breaking heat. I paced well at the start (or so I thought) but despite state of the art liquid fuel, I still got massively dehydrated 12 hours in. The result were massive cramps that caused my left leg to lock up and take me off the bike for several hours. The next phase of the race was an exercise in heat and pain management, it was 121f (50C). By the time we reached Prescott (mile 446) I was way behind plan but feeling much stronger. I took the time to rest for 90 minutes while the crew worked out that my chances of even finishing were looking pretty grim. From this point forward it was a case of clawing back time. until we reached Flagstaff. Somewhere along the way Yann told me I wasnt going to finish. That was the turning point. I couldnt eat, until I discovered that Hagan Das Icecream, dilluted Iced Coke, and Starbucks frappacinno in a bottle was all I needed. I kept getting faster, and was blessed by a lovely tailwind through Monument Valley. I clawed back time to every time station until I had more than enough to finish the last 98 miles of climbing to the finish.
For me this became the story I wanted to badly to be able to tell. A tale of human connection, none of this would have been possible without the incredible team supporting me and their dedication . A story of determination and adapting to change, never giving up and adjusting the goal to fit with "what is" not "what I wanted it to be". And finally capturing hearts and minds to raise awareness of the mental health challenges that young people are struggling with, that has been made even more serious because of Covid.
Thank You Everyone, my sponsors, my team, my friends and of course my family for your part in creating this story.
And of course, The Sky's The Limit, Journey To Better Therapeutic Consulting, True North Wilderness, New Vision Wilderness Therapy, Blue Fire Wilderness, Outback Therapeutic Expeditions, Open Sky Wilderness, Anasazi Foundation, SUWS of the Carolinas, Pacific Quest, Summit Achievement, and Aspiro.
Therapeutic Wilderness programs exist to provide a rich, intensive, clinically-proven therapeutic experience for a child and their family struggling with mental health and addiction, providing tools to get better. However, this level of care is costly, and beyond the reach of many families. STLF provides much needed financial support, and many wilderness programs will match their grants.
Learn more about STLF and families they have helped at:
https://www.skysthelimitfund.org/paul-webbs-race-across-the-west/
Paul and Talley have very personal experience with serious mental health challenges that our children face and riding has become a platform to manage stress, support worthy causes, and make a difference to others.
Your tax-deductible donation to this cause will go directly to families in need of support for their child’s recovery, right now. 100%.
Paul Webb (Age 57) Originally a rock climber, with climbs that include El Capitan, Table Mountain and Half Dome, Paul discovered his passion for cycling 10 years ago when he moved to Marin County and his friend Laurence loaned him a bike. Paul's family has personal experience with wilderness treatment, where it played a critical role in changing the life and path of his eldest child. This experience led directly to his wife, Talley, forming the therapeutic education consulting company, Journey to Better, LLC.
Paul's accomplishments include
- 2016 won Race Across America 4 person co-ed category
- 2017 and 2018 - won his age group in the 12-hr World Time Trial Championships.
- 2018 Winner Bessies Creek 12 hour Tim Trial (Texas)
- 2019 - broke the 50-59 age category course record to win RAW with Mark Gibson
- As a member of the Soaring Coots, fund raising for STLF the team won three prestigious ultra races, Race Across Oregon, Silver State 508 and the Hoo Doo 500.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Custom Bike Xccessories, Journey To Better, Ernst & Young
https://www.journeytobetter.net
https://custombikexcessories.com
