Ann and Chris (team: Obviously Not Golfers) are racing in the longest paddle race in the world, the Yukon 1000 (www.yukon1000.org) beginning 7/15/23. The race is fully unsupported and starts in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada while ending near Fairbanks, AK above the Arctic Circle. Racers have a maximum of 10 days to complete the 1000 mile course. 

Ann is an academic who has a passion for teaching physiology and for her research investigating the neural mechanisms that regulate breathing. Chris is a pharmacist who works with healthcare professionals to support research on and education about Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in adult and pediatric patients. 

Cathy Brown, a patient with PAH, is partnering with Ann, Chris, and Team Phenomenal Hope to help support fundraising to find a cure for PAH. "I’m honored to be partnered with Chris and Ann in Team PHenomenal Hope’s Let Me Be Your Lungs Program," she said. "I spent 17 years in Alaska and did a lot of hiking and a bit of paddling in that beautiful north country, so I will enjoy following their Yukon River race. Developing PH seriously curtailed my outdoor adventures, but with the support of my husband and 13-year-old son, I still manage to do short hikes—although now my backpack carries oxygen tanks instead of snacks. Medical research has kept me and many other PH patients alive longer than ever, and hopefully, we can continue to find better treatments – and maybe even a cure." 

Cathy, Ann, and Chris have created this page because we want to make a difference by supporting funding for research of this rare and deadly disease, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). Without treatment, less than 40% of those diagnosed with PAH are predicted to survive 5 years after diagnosis and have a significantly reduced quality of life along the way. Please help our cause by giving whatever you can using the 'Donate' button. The more people that know about PAH, including healthcare providers as well as symptomatic undiagnosed patients, the greater the impact, so please also spread the word by sharing our page with your friends and family. Thank you in advance for your generosity to support much needed research for PAH therapies!

-Ann, Chris, and Cathy

Ann/Chris racer team page: www.yukon1000.org/racer-teams-2023/Golfers/