Jason P. Lester

Lester hits mile 2,400 on day 50 of Journey for a Better World

Jason P. Lester (born 1974, Arizona) is an endurance athlete, the author of Running on Faith, and the 2009 ESPY Award winner for Best Male Athlete with a Disability.[1] He is the first disabled athlete to complete the Ultraman World Championships.[2] He is the Founder of the EP1C, INC. brand and is the Chairman of The NEVER STOP Foundation.

Lester has completed endurance challenges such as the EPIC5 Challenge (5 Iron distance triathlons on 5 Hawaiian islands in 5 consecutive days), and a 1,000-mile run and 4,000-mile bike (1,600 km run and 6,400 km bike) across the United States.[3] On May 5, 2013 Lester ran 3,550 miles (5,710 km) across the United States, becoming the 4th fastest runner to run from San Francisco to New York City to raise money for Hurricane Sandy victims. He has also run 2,600 miles (4,200 km) along The Great Wall of China in 83 days, setting a world record by becoming the first person to run the length of the wall solo in a single attempt.[4][5]

Early life

Lester grew up playing baseball and football. When he was twelve years old, he was hit while on his bicycle by a woman driving 70 mph (110 km/h) who ran a red light. He was left for dead with 21 broken bones and a collapsed lung. Lester lost the use of his right arm, which became partially paralyzed as a result of the accident. During the next several months he began a lengthy hospital recovery. While he was still in the hospital recovering, his father, and sole guardian, died of a heart attack.[6] Twelve months after the accident, he went on to continue to play baseball and football, making the all star game with the use of only one arm. Lester continued to play sports throughout high school and college. He began to compete in running and biathlon races at age 16, and by age 18 was ranked #2 for biathlons in the state of Arizona.

Triathlon

In 2004, Lester competed in the Ironman World Championships in Kona. To get ready for the event, he trained extensively and hired a coach to teach him how to swim. During his training, Lester began to notice that he was slowly regaining movement in his right arm.

In 2008, Lester became the first disabled athlete to complete the Ultraman World Championships.[2] In June 2009, at Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, Lester came in 3rd in his age group, which qualified him to compete in the Ironman World Championships later that year. That same summer, in July 2009, Lester became the first male triathlete to win an ESPY Award.[1] In August 2009, Lester became the 25th person to complete both Ultraman Canada and Ultraman Hawaii out of 428 total competitors. In November 2009, Lester became the 15th athlete in the history of Ultraman to complete both Hawaii and Canada in the same year.

On March 19, 2012, Lester ran and biked over 4,800 miles (7,700 km) across the United States promoting the benefit of sport.[7]

On May 5, 2013, Lester made a 3,500-mile (5,600 km) transcontinental run across America in 72 days. The run was a collaborative service project with Waves For Water. Waves For Water is an active presence and force for the Hurricane Sandy Relief Initiative, which supports neighborhoods and communities recovering from Hurricane Sandy.[8]

The NEVER STOP Foundation

In 2007, Lester founded the Never Stop Foundation.[9] The NEVER STOP Foundation is dedicated to using athletics as a tool to encourage all youth to have the chance to achieve their full potential. The goal is to help those in their formative years find their own true voice, help them build their confidence, improve their communication skills and learn the values of discipline, trust, compassion, self-reliance, and respect.

Racing and endurance highlights

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 Carlson, Timothy (July 16, 2013). "Jason Lester ESPY upset winner". NowPublic.com. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Lester, Jason; Vandehey, Tim (2010). Running on Faith: The Principles, Passion, and Pursuit of a Winning Life. ISBN 978-0-06-196572-2.
  3. 1 2 Miller, Mark (May 2, 2012). "Nike's Forest Gump: Ironman Jason Lester Crosses America for Nike". Nike Journey for a Better World. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Waves For Water".
  5. 1 2 Stoney, Stoney (November 13, 2014). "Jason Lester together with Mannatech completed a marathon across the Great Wall of China to fight childhood malnutrition". ICNN. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ Henry, Dawn (23 July 2009). "Jason Lester Wins ESPY Award". Ironman.com. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  7. ↑ "48,000 miles. Infinite inspiration". Nike.com. September 6, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Run to Rebuild". Waves for Water. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  9. ↑ "History". Never Stop Foundation. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  10. ↑ "Endurance athlete begins 72-hour run to help Army". New Frontier chronicle. December 15, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  11. ↑ http://r-u-n.us
  12. ↑ "Wow! Endurance athlete Jason Lester hits the treadmill for 24 hours to 'crush cancer'". Twitchy.
  13. ↑ http://3picman.com
  14. ↑ http://26x26.info
  15. ↑ "H2ope".
  16. ↑ "Ultraman Canada History - 2008 Records and Results". Ultraman Canada. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  17. ↑ "Ultraman Canada History - 2009 Records and Results". Ultraman Canada. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  18. ↑ "2008 Results Page". Ultraman World Championships. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  19. ↑ "2009 Results Page". Ultraman World Championships. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  20. ↑ "Online Results - Pacific Crest Endurance Duathlon". AA Sports Limited. 7 July 2008.
  21. ↑ "Scottsdale Duathlon/Triathlon - Age Group". TriFamily Racing.
  22. ↑ "Scottsdale Duathlon/Triathlon - Overall". TriFamily Racing.

External links

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