2016 Pioneer Page
Cheer on Team PH
To open 2016, Team PHenomenal Hope enters a new style of endurance race that will test the limits of our athletes: endurance mountain biking.
Our Goal: Fundraise $15,057 to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension!
Look for teams 230 & 254
And now:
Announcing the Reata Match Fund: Your donation will go even farther to support us! For every dollar you donate, Reata will match it dollar-for-dollar for the next $5000! That means that when we hit $8142, it will become a whopping $13,142! So please donate and make your dollar count!
Sponsor a stage
- Stage 1: A dedication to our friends in the New Zealand PAH Community & in memory of Philippa
- Stage 2: Boston University Pulmonary Hypertension Program
- Stage 3: Pacific Pulmonary Vascular Institute of Oregon Pulmonary Associates
- Stage 4: UPMC Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program
- Stage 5: Fitness in a Heartbeat
- Stage 6: Pat Craft, Brooks and Jen Broadhurst, and David Rudis.
- Stage 7: Dedicated to the PH community around the world!
Bonus: Raffle
The Cause
Racing to make a difference in the lives of PH patients, around the world. In our first major event of the year, we’re racing abroad to help bring global awareness to this disease. And this year it’s personal. When we push ourselves, we recognize we are racing for a with those who live everyday with pulmonary hypertension. People like Gary, Sandra, and Philippa. Read more about their stories here:
Gary’s Story Sandra’s Story Philippa’s Story
The race
We are sending two duos to New Zealand to race in The Pioneer through New Zealand’s pristine Southern Alps. January 31 – February 6, 2016.
This is the first race of its kind to link together over 500km of farm tracks, NZ Cycle Trails, double track and single track riding in a very special part of the world where soaring mountain peaks, crystal-clear blue lakes, and golden high country await. Racers must race as duos and keep within 2 minutes of one another. This is the back-country, after all.
Racers must race as duos and keep within 2 minutes of one another
Itinerary
Saturday, January 23 3PM Auckland Time (Friday, January 22 9PM EST) – Team PH – NZ Patient online meeting, hosted by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association – Join us for a webinar and online Q&A about the race, the team, and why we’re racing The Pioneer!
Tuesday, January 26 – Depart USA
Thursday, January 28 – Arrive in Christchurch, New Zealand
Friday, January 29 – Pre-ride course, meet up with local PH community in Christchurch
Saturday, January 30 – Register for The Pioneer
Sunday, January 31 at 8AM – The race begins! Christchurch Prologue 37 km
Monday, February 1 – Geraldine to Fairlie 106km
Tuesday, February 2 – Fairlie to Lake Tekapo 74km
Wednesday, February 3 – Lake Tekapo to Lake Ohau 111 km
Thursday, February 4 – Lake Ohau to Hawea 107 km
Friday, February 5 – Hawea to Snow Farm 60 km
Saturday, February 6 – Snow Farm to Queenstown 52 km
Sunday, February 7 – Recover in Queenstown
Monday, February 8 – Depart for USA
Support Team PH
Not only do we intend to crush the Southern Alps, but we want to crush our fundraising goal and raise one dollar per for every meter climbed – that is over $15,000 that will support pulmonary hypertension research and patient services. And for this, we need YOU! Please join us in this race a donate today to Team PHenomenal Hope – The Pioneer.
Donate Today!
Checks or money orders may be mailed to Team PHenomenal Hope at our home office address:
Team PHenomenal Hope, Inc.1936 5th Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: 877-6-GO-HOPE (877-646-4673)
Media
Press release: 12/21/2015
Corporate Sponsors
We would like to recognize and thank our 2016 corporate sponsors for their support in making the New Zealand Pioneer possible!
Our Pioneer New Zealand team includes Harrison “Hap” Farber, pulmonary hypertension specialist from Boston University with a penchant for ultra endurance racing, who will team up with Patricia George, UPMC PH specialist who is stepping way beyond her comfort zone into this new extreme sport.
They are joined by our women’s team of Thea Kent, mountain biker powerhouse from Boston, Kristen Engle, general surgeon and fearless cyclist living in Pittsburgh with a love for the trails. Together these two teams of two will be racing in New Zealand, using this event as a lightning rod to raise awareness about pulmonary hypertension and funds to find a cure.
Mountain biking
With this race and our team yet again expands to new horizons, sending racers off road and over mountains, racing for those who work to breathe. The athletes will bring special bikes with large wheels and knobby tires to take on gravel, boulders, creeks, and whatever else stands in their way.
New hemisphere
Why we race
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease with many treatments but still no cure. People living with PAH often don’t look sick, but often become tired and short of breath with exertion making basic activities like climbing stairs or playing with their grandchildren a challenge.
Fortunately, there are medications that help many patients, but not all patients respond to therapy. When the disease progresses, it leads to heart failure, and some patients require lung transplants to survive.
We are racing with the pulmonary hypertension community to make a difference, and we hope you will join us in supporting research for a cure.
Team PHenomenal Hope races to raise awareness about pulmonary hypertension and funds to find a cure.
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