Tenacity Games 2011: Athletes 4 Cancer

[caption id="attachment_5532" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Team Duke - a sponsor of the "Tenacity Games""][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5533" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Athletes 4 Cancer"][/caption]

There are many awesome fundraising opportunities to participate in to raise money for cancer survivors . . . the Tenacity Games is one of them.  This was the first year that the “Tenacity Games” were held in the Columbia River Gorge.  This event brought athletes together to compete and raise money for a great cause.  Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Kite Boarding and Kayaking were all present in this year’s line-up of competitions.

I participated in “Kayak 4 Cancer”.  As a competitor, you could either pay a large race fee (your contribution to the ‘cause’) OR you could fundraise a certain amount of money to participate.  Either way . . . all the money raised is distributed to organizations that create amazing experiences for cancer survivors and the future of cancer research.

The kayak race started on the Lower, Lower White Salmon River (below Condit Dam) – 2 class III rapids, 1 mile of flatwater down to the mouth of the Columbia and a mile paddle across the Columbia to the Oregon side, was the race course.  With 20 mph wind . . . this race was more of a challenge than I had guessed it would be.

[caption id="attachment_5534" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="First Class III rapid - White Salmon River"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5535" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="All the different lengths of boats in the race . . . "][/caption]

I chose to race a Green boat . . . as, most of the other racers were in wildwater boats.  However, even the Green boat wasn’t as fast as those wildwater racers . . . I ended up second for the women’s category.  Wildwater boats won both the men’s and the women’s categories . . .

[caption id="attachment_5537" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Monica - 1st place"][/caption]

Great race, great cause  . . . can’t wait for next year.  For more information about the organization that puts this race on, please visit:  www.athletes4cancer.org.

[caption id="attachment_5536" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=""Girls of the Gorge" ladies represent - Monica and Heather"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5538" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Can't wait for next year . . . see you there!"][/caption]

Results:

Kayak Mens - Top 3

1 Louis Geltman  22:20.394

2 Ryan Bahn  23:55:983

3 Dan Gavere  26:46:510

Kayak Womens - Top 3

1  Monica Gokey  29:55:515

2  Heather Herbeck  30:37:781

3  Mollie Daugherty  44:48:004

*****  All photos courtesy of Alexa Shuman