David Lee
In 1990, David Lee was injured in a motorcycle accident at the University of Colorado, but that did not stop him from participating in sports. His first wheelchair race was the Bolder Boulder 10K in 1993. He placed last, but he placed nonetheless.
Next, Lee went on to complete more than 40 marathons, winning eight of them. He was still not content, though, and decided to add another discipline to an already intense training schedule. He attempted the Chicago Sun-Times Triathlon. His goal was to participate in the Ironman. Lee raced in Ironman Canada for four consecutive years (1995-1999), but he was forced to retire from the triathlon after being hit by a car in November 1999 while he was training for Ironman New Zealand near his home in California.
The next few years was tough for Lee, as he lost his left kidney and fractured both his L1 and L2 vertebrae when his spine collapsed in August 2002. After the collapse, he required extensive experimental surgery to repair the shattered spinal column. The August 2002 surgery failed, requiring further experimental surgery the next January.
After a long rehabilitation, Lee entered a grueling handcycle race in Alaska. In Challenge Alaska, he placed a respectable second. He then entered another handcycle race in Redlands, Calif., where he crushed his competition. The rest was history, as Lee is now a well-known figure on the international handcycling stage.
In 2006 and 2007, Lee rode from San Francisco, Calif., to La Jolla, Calif., in six days with the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge to help raise money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. For the last 12 years, while not training, Lee has worked as a self-employed personal trainer.
In 2008, Lee took his handcycle to Beijing, China, where he competed in the Paralympic Games.
For more information on David, check out his website at http://fitnessgenie.com/.
Major Achievements:
- 2008: U.S. Paralympic Team member, Cycling - Beijing, China
- 2007: Bronze medal - Handcycling World Championships
- 2007: First place - Redlands Classic, Redlands, Calif.
- 2007: First place - Challenge Alaska
- 2006: Second place - Challenge Alaska
