Meet Team Strong Heart - 2007 Race Across America


		Meet Team Strong Heart
Camp Odayin Home About Team Strong Heart Meet Team Strong Heart Make a Donation Team Strong Heart Clothing Sponsors and Supporters Follow Us During The Race Team Strong Heart Blog Help Send a Kid to Camp Camp Odayin Site Search Engine Fall Newsletter 2008: "The Beat" (PDF 5.9 MB) Newsletter Archive Minneapolis Star Tribune Article Odayin: A Minnesota Camp With a Heart 08/19/03 The Camp Odayin Song The Camp Odayin Song (.mp3)		The Team Bernie Kaeferlein - Team Director & Racer Greg Kostik - Racer Timothy Case - Racer Neil Eerdmans - Racer Bill Nicholson - Crew Chief Dan Halvorsen, Ph.D. - Team Physiologist & Nutritionist Bernie Kaeferlein, Team Director, Age: 36 Occupation: Senior Marketing Manager, Medtronic Cardiac Surgery. What got you started in athletic endurance events and what attracts you to RAAM? "I got hooked on endurance events through 24 hour mountain bike racing. What attracts me to RAAM is combining my passions and talents to accomplish an epic adventure of the body and of the heart. Competing and completing RAAM is an adventure of a lifetime and a chance to discover what I am truly capable of. RAAM is also a wonderful way to raise awareness and funding for Camp Odayin, a camp for kids with heart disease." Why are you interested in raising funds and awareness for Camp Odayin? "Each year 32,000 babies are born in the US with cardiovascular defects. Children with heart disease are not often afforded the opportunity to attend camps due to health risks and medical issues." "Camp Odayin is a non profit organization dedicated to providing the camp experience to these special young people through week long residence camps, day camps and family camps providing campers and families the opportunity to meet others with similar health, emotional concerns. Camp Odayin is made available regardless of the number of scars, scope of the disease or physical abilities and is staffed by volunteer pediatric cardiologists, nurses and non-medical staff. To top it off, the experience is provided at no cost to the campers (aside from a $25 processing fee)." Favorite qoute or words to live by "Live well, laugh often, love much." Greg Kostik, Age: 32 Occupation: Senior Mechanical Designer, Toro Company. What got you started in athletic endurance events and what attracts you to RAAM? "The more bike racing I did over the years, I realized that the longer the race was the better I did. The events I did the best in were long individual time trials. Each time I'll be on the bike during RAAM will be a long individual time trial." Why are you interested in raising funds and awareness for Camp Odayin? "To help kids have the best life they can. On a personal note , my godson was born December 2005 with a cardiovascular defect. I saw firsthand the struggles it puts upon a family." Favorite qoute or words to live by "You can accomplish anything you put your mind to." Timothy Case, Age: 30 Occupation: Professional Firefighter, Boulder Fire and Rescue. What got you started in athletic endurance events and what attracts you to RAAM? "I've participated in a number of endurance cycling events, most frequently 24 hour mountain bike racing, as part of a team and solo. The RAAM seems like a logical next step for my endurance training and will be a complete test of mind and body." Why are you interested in raising funds and awareness for Camp Odayin? "Camp Odayin deserves recognition, funding, and attention for the important service it provides children with cardiac conditions and their families." Favorite qoute or words to live by "There is a time to think and a time to move. So which is it going to be?." - Captain Andy Vigil, Poudre Valley Fire Department, Fort Collins, Colorado. Neil Eerdmans, Age: 38 Occupation: Second Grade School Teacher. What got you started in athletic endurance events and what attracts you to RAAM? "I have always had extra energy and so burning that off has always been necessary. I have developed a love of bike riding and RAAM is simply fascinating to anyone that likes riding distance. I have always wondered what it would be like to be a part of RAAM and now I actually have a chance to experience it." Why are you interested in raising funds and awareness for Camp Odayin? "Honestly, I just learned of the camp but it seems like a great place with great things happening there. I believe in helping and being ready to help. The camp is exciting and anything that I could do to help raise awareness of the camp would be great. Spiritually speaking, this seems like a great camp to put energy behind." Favorite qoute or words to live by "Hurry is not of the devil, it is the devil." - Jung Bill Nicholson, Crew Chief, Age: 47 Occupation: Computer and Media Technician. What got you started in athletic endurance events and what attracts you to RAAM? "Upon first hearing of ultra-marathon and randonneuring events, I was drawn to them. First as an amateur participant, and then as a supporter. The character of the individuals drawn to these events is so absurdly maniacal, that I want to join them." Why are you interested in raising funds and awareness for Camp Odayin? "I spent many years as a teenager at summer camps; first as a camper, later as a staff memeber. Helping to give these kids a better experience will be a small bit of payback for my experiences." Favorite qoute or words to live by "If you're not ridin', you're hidin'." Dan Halvorsen, Ph.D. Occupation: Adjunct Assistant Professor in UMN Medical School/Physiology Clinic Director of the Children's Exercise Physiology Program at St. Paul Children's Hospital.
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