The Vietnam Challenge….

     On January 1, 1998, a group of  both able-bodied and physically-challenged cyclists, both American and Vietnamese, left Hanoi heading south down Highway One. 

     Nearly three weeks and 1200 miles later, they reached their destination: Ho Chi Minh City.  In between, they would cycle through extreme heat, terrible smog, and less-than-optimal road conditions.  They would climb some 3,000 feet up the dreaded Hai Van Pass, the highest mountain in Vietnam.   All along the way were reminders of  war:  grenades on the side of the road, craters from once-dropped bombs, and memorial graveyards too numerous to count.  Yet this new team persevered, this time on the SAME side.  It was three weeks of a brutal physical challenge and tremendous emotional healing.  At the end of the journey, they celebrated as brothers and sisters, the war long since forgotten.   

     Accompanying the group were Peter Gilbert and a crew from Kartemquin Films, of  ‘Hoop Dreams’ fame.  They would later create an Emmy Award-winning movie entitled, ‘Viet Nam – Long Time Coming.’  It poignantly revealed the physical and emotional struggles of the participants, and their eventual triumph as they cycled side by side into Ho Chi Min City’s Reunification Hall.  

     This incredible adventure was actuated by World T.E.A.M. Sports, a not-for-profit organization whose main focus is to highlight the abilities of athletes with physical challenges.  T.E.A.M. is an acronym for ‘The Exceptional Athlete Matters.’  For more information on this truly wonderful organization, visit    www.worldteamsports.org .