Jordan McNamara sponsored by Extreme Endurance

We are happy to announce the sponsorship of former University of Oregon Duck athlete and sub 4minute miler Jordan Mcnamara.

Endurance athlete overcomes injury and is back on track to London 2012

Being one of the best endurance athletes in the country has got to put a smile on your face every morning.

Jordan McNamara is tagged as one of the United States “Olympic Hopefuls” for London 2012.

This NCAA All-American’s journey has not been unlike other dedicated endurance athletes, but after reading and listening to his blog or “vlog”, he stands out in his pursuit to make his dreams come true for the 2012 Summer Games.

While running at the University of Oregon and breaking the 4-minute mile, he saw his upcoming Senior year as one for the record books. He won the Oregon Preview 3000 meter race in a meet-record time of 7:53.63, covering the last mile in a blistering 4:04. All of the sacrifice, the endless physical and mental workouts he had filled his weekly journals with, was coming to fruition. He could taste a season of victory.

Little did Jordan know, those record-breaking visions were about to take an unexpected turn.

He had begun to experience mild foot discomfort and as he sat in his doctor’s office he was presented with an endurance athlete’s worst nightmare….located in his navicular bone was a stress fracture that only surgery could repair. As he choked back the tears and took hold of his situation, he realized that only he was in charge of his emotions. Jordan knew he had done everything he could have to succeed.

Now he made another decision. He could run with the one thing we all have – and that is attitude. Despair would not over take this elite athlete.

Jordan focused on his studies and his upcoming graduation as the track & field season slowly went by without him.

As time passed, his fortitude did not, and one quiet evening while contemplating life’s winding roads, he came to the simple conclusion, he was destined to try. Why not? He knew he had a stress fracture in his foot. His trainers and doctors would have preferred tying this endurance athlete to his desk chair if they could but his teammates and coaches knew what to expect from Jordan when he stepped back onto the track.

On the first training run since his diagnosis, Jordan was fully aware of the possible consequences. He also knew his collegiate track & field career was coming to an end without him. The risks involved were undeniable. Jordan had one broken foot and six short weeks but his dream of wearing the fabled Green and Yellow colors of his soon to be alma mater was not going away.

Jordan made the decision he was not ready to call it quits and as he crossed the finish line in the endurance race that qualified him for the 5,000 meters in the NCAA Championships, he knew he had made the best of the cards he was dealt with.

When asked after his finish if his foot was sore, he replied, “I made it. Thats all that counts. I would be lying if I said I couldn’t feel it”.

Jordan McNamara gave it all he could – and then some. He exemplifies the love of running and endurance sports. This fine-tuned, precision athlete had made a career of sacrifice. He had trained twice daily, through freezing rain, driving wind, bitter cold and solitary nights. He had given up his social life as his college peers racked up the wild stories and blurred memories. To achieve his dream of becoming the best in his sport, he had gone the distance in his workouts and body preparation, not missing one detail that would allude him a chance at victory.

Jordan’s perseverance and perfection to detail in sport is what has drawn Extreme Endurance to showcase and sponsor him as exemplary athlete and role model.
(Extreme Endurance is also known as Xendurance in the EU.)

Extreme Endurance is very proud to announce the sponsorship of Jordan McNamara, and will be by his side as he competes to qualify for the London Olympics, 2012.

Steve Donaldson and Team CARD Cycling

Steve Donaldson takes his cycling seriously. After suffering an injury to his hamstring during the 2004 Olympic trials that ended his track and field career, he had to find a way to rehabilitate his injured leg. Donaldson turned to cycling and he quickly became enamored of this new sport.

In response to his new passion, Donaldson founded Team CARD. Although this cycling club is based in Phoenix, Arizona, its members come from all parts of the United States. Membership in Team CARD is available to any elite endurance athlete who enjoys the sport of cycling. The team is strongly focused toward promoting women’s participation in the sport.

But Donaldson is concerned with more than just the fun and competition involved in cycling. He also founded Cyclists Against Reckless Drivers (CARD), a nonprofit organization that seeks to change legislation regarding bicycle laws in Arizona as well as instituting harsher penalties in the case of car/bicycle altercations. Too many accidents and injuries occur due to negligence on the part of drivers who refuse to share the road with cyclists. According to Donaldson’s website, only 14 states currently have laws on the books that protect riders through the three-foot law. The three-foot law refers to the distance that must be maintained by a vehicle and a bicycle on the roadway.

In addition to efforts that will change legislation, CARD also promotes education and training for cyclists and drivers alike in order to prevent future accidents.

We at Extreme Endurance applaud Donaldson’s concern for making the roads a safer place for cyclists and his efforts to bring more women into the sport of cycling. If you wish to become involved with Team CARD or Cyclists Against Reckless Drivers or just to make a donation, please visit his website.

Extreme Endurance Sponsors Yvonne van Vlerken

Endurance Athlete Yvonne Van Vlerken

Yvonne van Vlerken, Ironman competitor and one of the leading EU female athletes, is the newest endurance athlete to be added to the sponsorships proudly offered by Extreme Endurance.

Van Vlerken, a 31 year-old Dutchwoman, has earned a long list of credits over the course of her career thus far. Here are just some of her very impressive endurance statistics:

• One of only four women to ever finish an Ironman competition in less than nine hours three or more times. She achieved a time less than nine hours in her very first Ironman race (2007).

• Set a new world record the following year at the same Quelle Challenge Roth Ironman competition, setting a new world distance record.
• Earned first place in both Roth Ironman races (2007 & 2008)
• Took the 2^nd place prize in the Ironman World Championship 2008
• Achieved first place in the Ironman 70.3 Wiesbaden, the Ironman 70.3 Austria, and the Almere Iron Distance Race
• Won the inaugural Ironman Cozumel event November, 2009

Van Vlerken is dominant in the biking leg of the triathlon, her riding skills honed by the sometimes fierce winds blowing in her native Holland. Swimming is her weakest sport, but something she has been paying particular attention to strengthening. After her last winning performance in Cozumel, it is evident that she has made great strides. She could be unstoppable in upcoming triathlon competitions!

Extreme Endurance is proud to sponsor endurance athletes likeVan Vlerken’s. We are certain she will continue to benefit greatly from using our drug-free supplement and can’t wait to see what records she will break next!