The Crew

Emotions run high during Race Across America - the ultimate challenge of endurance and strength. As the riders strain themselves on the journey from California to Maryland, a group of dedicated individuals come together for the common goal of helping their RAAM team succeed in seeing the finish line. Known as the crew, these people provide the foundational support the RAAM riders.

Each member of the crew takes on a variety of roles to keep the race running smoothly. Drivers concentrate on driving and accurately navigating the route. Organizers have impeccable attention to detail and keep the entire group focused on the goal. Tech support ensures that the team stays connected with the outside world while traveling across the country. Medical support is a necessary component needed on any true test of endurance. Wrenches are a handymen extraordinaire offering bike maintenance know-how. Gophers are the go-to runners of the crew, whether it is running an errand or prepping the next meal. And finally, the photographer documents the incredible journey through the perspective of the lens.

Meet the Bandwidth.com RAAM Crew, and learn more about their roles during the race.

Lora Payne

Hometown: Park City, UT

Primary Role: Crew Chief

Company: MTDaily.com

Occupation: Boss and Employee

Lora loves the outdoors and has backpacked her entire life going as far as working with young teens to teach them about the wilderness. Also a great organizer, she will be the crew chief during the 2010 Race Across America. She stepped up to the challenge becoming our very own RAAM expert by absorbing a wealth of advice and information from race organizers and past participants. In all fairness, she is the only one who can keep her brother, David Morken, in line while resurrecting that race-saving tip from the archives of memory.

” I’ve joked with my crew that doing RAAM is the closest I’ll ever come to being a sci-fi astronaut: travelling vast distances while confined to a small space with a group of people with specialized skills facing unexpected problems encountering dangerous obstacles.”

Chris Accetta

Hometown: West Hartford, CT

Primary Role: Driver and Navigator

Company: The Travelers Companies, Inc.

Occupation: Product Director, Agribusiness Division

Chris has been instrumental in developing the general race strategy for the Bandwidth.com team. A former crew chief for RAAM and Furnace Creek 508, Chris can draw on his prior experiences to help the crew opporate with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. During RAAM 2010, he will take on a primary role of driver and navigator.

“I’m very excited and confident about RAAM, but I also have a healthy fear and respect for what the race holds in store. RAAM is one of the few remaining ways in which workaday people can experience an epic true-life adventure.”

Joe Winston

Hometown: Moorestown, NJ

Primary Role: Technology Support

Company: NET Device Corp

Occupation: CEO

Joe’s prior race experience includes running a 96-mile course unsupported. His RAAM preparation has been geared towards creating the capacity for efficient and effective response. Unexpected events occur under stress and Joe will be there to handle the situation in his primary role that is focused on tech. He will provide additional assistance by acting as a driver and navigator, as well as a handy wrench when needed.

“We are unlikely to avoid failures, but are looking to overcome them with minimal impact to our race time. What a cool game!”

Patrick Murdock

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

Primary Role: Medical Support

Company: Coming Soon

Occupation: M.D.

Being a former ER doctor, Patrick is no stranger to stressful situations erupting on little sleep. His past experience as a competitive cyclist will serve him well as he treats the riders’ ailments throughout the trip. Patrick is also John’s brother (a rider on the team), and their relationship will be pivotal in assisting the team to success. His brother convinced him that his life would not be adventurous unless he made the trek accross the country during RAAM.

“Medical isn’t just about being there as a precaution to disaster, it’s also about the little things that can hamper a rider’s performance during the race….like treating a rash that may develop or keeping constant measurements of the riders’ nutrient intakes.”

Tom Herman

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

Primary Role: Wrench

Company: BikeSource

Occupation: Full-time Student at Ohio State University & Bike Mechanic

A lifetime cyclist, Tom started racing at 13 years old, and within three years had worked his way up to the expert category keeping up with the big guys. Needless to say, competitive cycling has always been his passion. His wealth of knowledge in bike maintenance and new cycling technology makes him the perfect-fitting wrench for the Bandwidth.com RAAM team. During the race, he will primarily be responsible for confidently assisting the team with repairs and maintenance while helping with the driving and navigating and gopher duties as well.

“I want to make sure the riders aren’t at all concerned about the condition and functionality of their bikes throughout the race. Their concentration should be about riding their machine and recovery when not doing so. I want them to know that their machines will be tuned perfectly everytime they click into the pedals. I am psyched for RAAM.”

Kade Ross

Hometown: Morganton, NC

Primary Role: Mothership Boss (a.k.a. Overseer of the main bus)

Company: Bandwidth.com

Occupation: Executive VP

A former basketball team manager for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, and now an Executive VP, Kade is known for keeping things running smoothly. He will captain the Mothership on the trip, the place where riders and crew will eat, sleep and communicate with the world. It will be a moving house that will require constant monitoring of supplies and navigation, and Kade’s role will be to feed the machine while coordinating position.

“I’ve always dreamed of taking a tour bus across the country. Sometimes dreams come true.”

Chrishelle Morken

Hometown: Minneapolis, MN

Primary Role: Executive Chef

Company: Morkenville

Occupation: Morken Family Manager & Stay-at-Home Mom of 6

Chrishelle is excited to be a part of the Bandwidth.com RAAM crew. Although she has never done anything like this before, she anticipates a great adventure. Her husband David is one of the riders and was the one to get this whole wild adventure started! Chrishelle will split her time between preparing and managing the team’s meals and driving the team’s support vehicles.

“I had a blast being a part of the practice RAAM here in North Carolina. I loved it and can’t wait to do again in about a month. I am not looking forward to leaving my children behind, when all is said and done it will the longest I have been away from them.”

Jody Felinczak

Hometown: South Park, PA

Primary Role: Gopher

Company: Bandwidth.com

Occupation: CLEC Capacity Planner

When it comes to finding a needle in a haystack in less than ten minutes while filling out a spreadsheet on the side, Jody is the person for the job. Still awaiting “The Amazing Race” to accept her as a competitor on their show, Jody takes the next best thing in RAAM and will display her ability to track down supplies on the fly while navigating strange roads throughout the country.

“RAAM is going to be interesting. I’m going to be running through stores and roads throughout the country, making this as much a cultural experience as it is a competitive one.”

Matt Mitchell

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Primary Role: Wrench

Company: Bike Source

Occupation: Bicycle Mechanic

Matthew has nearly a lifetime of riding and tinkering with bicycles. Accumulating 4,500 miles annually, his personal cycling routine consists of a combination of exercise, recreation, transportation and sport - each fueled by a competitive spirit. In preparation for his RAAM crew position as a Wrench, he has been diligently studying the race equipment that will be used during the race so he can keep everything running smoothly. A bicycle mechanic and a former automotive technician, Matthew lives and breathes all things fast and mechanical.

“I am extremely fired up in regards to the upcoming race in terms of its callenging and competitive nature and the obviously die hard commitment to compete to win, which is apparent with all that are involved, especially the riders. The overall notoriety of the race itself is enough to give me chills in anticipation for the day we will match up in Oceanside to win this race.”

Clyde Platt

Hometown: Fernie, British Columbia

Primary Role: Driver

Company: Retired

Occupation: Ski Bum (Former Partner at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP)

Clyde has driven across the country at least 20 times and once circumnavigated the roads of North America clockwise. He intends to help insure that the Bandwidth.com team races free of any rule infractions. He is coming along to support his friend Sean Matt, make new friends, as well as allow the riders’ motivation inspire him to continue to have new experiences.

“Ultimately, my reasons for coming along are to support a friend, make new friends, let the riders’ inspiration rub off on me, and experience something completely different. I feel like I’d be a fool to pass up the chance to do this. But ask me again when we’re done.”

Greg Law

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Primary Role: Driver

Company: US Army 82nd Airborne Division

Occupation: Paratrooper

Jumping out of airplanes for a living while serving our country makes Greg the perfect crew member for Team Bandwidth.com. After recent deployments to Iraq and Haiti, Greg is no stranger to long shifts under stress and has agreed to travel across country for RAAM helping with driving duties. His experience and know-how will prove to be a vital asset to keeping things together and rolling strong during the time spent on the RAAM journey.

“I am a good friend of Patrick Murdock & also know his brother John. I like what they stand for. I like being part of ambitious endeavors with good people so helping support this little trek across America is right in my wheel-house.”

Anders Brownworth

Hometown: Stony Brook, NY

Primary Role: Technical Support

Company: Bandwidth.com

Occupation: VP Research and Development

What Anders lacks in race support experience, he makes up for in heart and technical know-how. Anders will round out the technical capabilities of the team while lending a hand shooting some video and tag-team driving. He also plans to redefine the term “mobile application development”.

“Somebody said ‘Race Across America’ and I said ‘I’m in!’”

Chad Sattler

Hometown: Ellsworth, ME

Primary Role: Record Advocate

Company: Bandwidth.com

Occupation: Art Director

Tired of photographing golf courses, kids and staff, Bandwidth.com Art Director Chad Sattler (a.k.a. Sledge) will be responsible for providing the visual documentation of the trip. He will be making frequent updates to the team’s Facebook, YouTube and Flickr pages throughout the ride, allowing the world to experience the race in almost real-time. Chad has limited experience as an endurance athlete but feels the scenery and human interest stories will speak for themselves.

“What I’m most excited about is getting to photograph and video record the riders on some of the most majestic roads of America. It’s going to be mesmerizing.”

Maddy Murdock

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

Primary Role: Gopher

University: University of Dayton

Occupation: Full-time Student

Maddy’s primary role will be to aid the racers in whatever way she can, including doing laundry, making food and making sure everything goes smoothly for the crew and the riders. Maddy comes from a cycling family (her father, John, is in the race), but her roots aren’t set in endurance athletics. A tennis player in high school, Maddy brings a competitive fire to the race and looks forward to sharing this experience with her father.

“My inspiration to be a part of this support crew is mostly for my father, John. Cycling is a huge part of his life and I know that he has been training a lot and is incredibly excited for this race. He has been a wonderful father and he is someone I truly admire as a person.”

Tags: bandwidth, Bandwidth.com, RAAM, race across america

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