TEAM SPEEDY TURTLE RACES ACROSS AMERICA (RAAM) IN 2024
First Tandem Bike with A Blind Rider to Compete SOLO in RAAM Event History
Welcome to the Team Speedy Turtle website. Thank you for checking us out.
Dave Wilkinson, The Speedy Turtle
Meet The Team
But we haven’t just decided on this.
We’re endurance athletes who have been competing in ultra-competitions for years. Dave has been competing within the Physically Challenged (PC) division of Ironman since 2019. He achieved Gold Level (the Top 1%) of PC athletes worldwide, and he won his division in Arizona in 2021 and Muncie in 2021/22. Before triathlons, Dave completed over 30 marathons and narrowly missed being on the 2002 US Paralympic cross-country ski team.
Jim can hold his own, don’t worry. Since that ride across Michigan, he’s bicycled across America 4 times, 1987 on a tour of 50 days, then completed solo RAAM 2005 and 2022, last year as the first American finisher. And he’s completed several 24-hour bicycle races across the country. If that wasn’t enough, he’s also an ultra-runner, winning Tahoe 200 in 2015. And he hasn’t looked back (except to shoulder check for traffic) ever since.
Dave Wilkinson, cyclist
It’s a privilege I try not to take for granted. Every day could be an incredible experience. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be.”
- Lives in Louisville, Kentucky
- Senior Digital Accessibility Analyst for Hilton Worldwide
- Has run more than 30 marathons
- Favorite Snack: Ice Cream and LOTS OF IT!
Jim Trout, cyclist and guide
It’s such a rewarding experience; the more challenging something is the more rewarding it is.”
- Lives in Grand Rapids, MI
- Emergency Room Pharmacist at Level 1 Trauma Center in Grand Rapids
- Has cycled over 200,000 miles over 40 years, in over 45 countries
- Favourite Snack: Beer & Ice Cream (preferably in a hot tub).
It is the closest relationship you’ll have outside of that with your spouse. Quite literally, you’re trusting your partner not to kill you.
Our Support Team
Dawn
Sara
Erica
Crew, Team Engineer
Jill
Crew, Team Registered Nurse
Maryam
Josh
Shamus
Oscar
Angie
In Memory of Jacob Wells
“None of this would be happening if it weren’t for Jacob. He was my first running guide and we were incredibly close. He was the reason I did a marathon in the first place (he suggested it about 30 minutes after we met. We were between miles 2 and 3 of our first 5K and for that matter the first time we had ever ran together). Jacob died in 2014 at Mile 19 of his 153rd marathon. He had enlarged his heart due to extreme exercise, which unwittingly killed him. His death was devastating. I will forever be grateful for the friendship I shared with him. He will be with me in spirit on this journey.”
Why We’re Doing This
However, if what we’re doing motivates a teen somewhere to reconsider trying out for the school track team or convinces someone to start exercising while waiting on their morning toast, then we’re happy with that.
We hope someone like you sees us and decides that things you never thought possible ARE attainable.
Think small to achieve big. Make little changes and choices. Take things from where you are and what you can do now.
- Start looking beyond your couch.
- Set reasonable goals and then celebrate when you achieve them.
- Start moving and enjoy where your body can take you.
We want people to get active, but it starts with something other than an Ironman or the RAAM.
That’s what we want; to spark your interest in physical fitness.
We hope you will say, “I don’t want to BE them (because they are a bit nuts!), but I want to support them and be a part of their journey.” And if, along the way, you decide this is for you, we’d be okay with some competition.
Interested in having us speak to your organization or group?
Sponsors
Envision empowers people who are blind or have low vision to access everyday visual information for themselves. Because it isn’t just information. It’s knowledge, independence and possibility. For more information, visit https://letsenvision.com/
NanoPac has been dedicated to enhancing lives through innovative assistive technology solutions since 1987. With a wide array of over 100 products, we are here to help support and find the perfect product to meet our customers needs. For more information, visit https://nanopac.com
Thank you Hilton, the number one place to work, for providing crew
accommodations, visit https://hilton.com
Much like a video relay interpreter for members of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community, our team of expertly-trained Visual Interpreters provide on-demand visual information for the blind and low vision community. Because we believe that access to information is a human right. Visit https://www.aira.io/
Braille eMotion. Go with that feeling! For more information, visit https://selvasblv.com/.
Resources & Press
Link to Race Across America website
Link to IRONMAN Triathlon website
Link to Spectrum News 1 Video & Article
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