FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Area Martial Artist Sits Down For Those Who Cannot Stand Up.
Accepting the challenge of a student, Sr. Master Mark Kaup-Lee will compete in the PF Chang Rock N Roll Half Marathon in a wheelchair. A 7th degree black belt and owner of 5 area martial arts academies, Kaup-Lee was challenged by his student, Jennifer Longdon; herself paralyzed, to complete the 13.1 mile race as she will; in a wheel chair.
The pair will raise money for spinal cord injury research. Longdon, an area martial artist and student of Kaup-Lee’s, sustained her spinal cord injury more than four years ago in a still-unsolved shooting. Longdon was riding in a vehicle driven by her fiancé, David Rueckert, when the pair was shot multiple times by an unknown assailant. Rueckert was shot in the head; Longdon was shot in the back.
Kaup-Lee was helping Longdon with her training when she groused “You think it’s so easy? You strap 50 pounds to your back and race 13 miles on your hands.” Kaup-Lee in that instant agreed. “It’s not the same for me.” Kaup-Lee explains “I have control of my balance and core muscles in a way that a paraplegic like Ms. Longdon does not. But it’s still pretty challenging.” Kaup-Lee’s first taste of the difficulty faced by those with spinal cord injuries came when he was training with Longdon one morning. “He flew up a hill while I chugged along behind. When he reached the top I told him to try it again without using his abs. It was a little more challenging the second time.” Longdon teased.
While wheel chair competitors are not, in themselves, new or noteworthy; Kaup-Lee and Longdon will not participate in the racing chair division but in the standard division. “We’ll be using regular wheelchairs weighing between 40 and 50 pounds instead of the lighter racing chairs.” Kaup-Lee explains. “Ms. Longdon cannot get in and out of the racing chair any more without assistance.” Kaup-Lee adds “Why do it if it’s easy?”
Of course, they are competing in their fundraising totals as well as the race. The pair will donate all proceeds to Research for Cure, a 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit organization that raises funds for the Reeve Irvine Research Center.
Donations can be made through http://masterlee.chipin.com/research-for-cure, or http://jenlongdon.chipin.com/research-for-cure or checks made payable to Research for Cure may be sent to Lee’s Black Belt Academy, 715 W Baseline Rd Tempe, AZ 85283. Note “Lee” or “Longdon” in the memo.
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Area Martial Artist Sits Down For Those Who Cannot Stand Up.
Accepting the challenge of a student, Sr. Master Mark Kaup-Lee will compete in the PF Chang Rock N Roll Half Marathon in a wheelchair. A 7th degree black belt and owner of 5 area martial arts academies, Kaup-Lee was challenged by his student, Jennifer Longdon; herself paralyzed, to complete the 13.1 mile race as she will; in a wheel chair.
The pair will raise money for spinal cord injury research. Longdon, an area martial artist and student of Kaup-Lee’s, sustained her spinal cord injury more than four years ago in a still-unsolved shooting. Longdon was riding in a vehicle driven by her fiancé, David Rueckert, when the pair was shot multiple times by an unknown assailant. Rueckert was shot in the head; Longdon was shot in the back.
Kaup-Lee was helping Longdon with her training when she groused “You think it’s so easy? You strap 50 pounds to your back and race 13 miles on your hands.” Kaup-Lee in that instant agreed. “It’s not the same for me.” Kaup-Lee explains “I have control of my balance and core muscles in a way that a paraplegic like Ms. Longdon does not. But it’s still pretty challenging.” Kaup-Lee’s first taste of the difficulty faced by those with spinal cord injuries came when he was training with Longdon one morning. “He flew up a hill while I chugged along behind. When he reached the top I told him to try it again without using his abs. It was a little more challenging the second time.” Longdon teased.
While wheel chair competitors are not, in themselves, new or noteworthy; Kaup-Lee and Longdon will not participate in the racing chair division but in the standard division. “We’ll be using regular wheelchairs weighing between 40 and 50 pounds instead of the lighter racing chairs.” Kaup-Lee explains. “Ms. Longdon cannot get in and out of the racing chair any more without assistance.” Kaup-Lee adds “Why do it if it’s easy?”
Of course, they are competing in their fundraising totals as well as the race. The pair will donate all proceeds to Research for Cure, a 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit organization that raises funds for the Reeve Irvine Research Center.
Donations can be made through http://masterlee.chipin.com/research-for-cure, or http://jenlongdon.chipin.com/research-for-cure or checks made payable to Research for Cure may be sent to Lee’s Black Belt Academy, 715 W Baseline Rd Tempe, AZ 85283. Note “Lee” or “Longdon” in the memo.
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