LIHU‘E — There was no fanfare other than the occasional honk from a passing car as Jason P. Lester and Richard Roll stopped for a hydration break, Wednesday. The pair were on part of the 112-mile bicycling phase of an
LIHU‘E — There was no fanfare other than the occasional honk from a passing car as Jason P. Lester and Richard Roll stopped for a hydration break, Wednesday.
The pair were on part of the 112-mile bicycling phase of an iron-distance triathlon which involves a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26-mile run.
Lester and Roll kicked off the Epic5 Challenge Wednesday on Kaua‘i, attempting to do five iron-distance triathlons in five days on five different islands as a fundraiser for Never Stop Foundation.
Following the Kaua‘i leg, the pair travel to O‘ahu, Moloka‘i and Maui before finishing in Kona on Sunday.
Never previously attempted, Epic5 raises the bar as a challenge of unparalleled endurance that promises to task the limits of mind, body and spirit while capturing the hearts and souls of the public, states the Epic5 Web site.
This was demonstrated by the passing honks of support as the pair sipped liquid in the shadow of the Lihu‘e Theater marquee.
The Epic5 Challenge started three years ago as Lester’s vision. Despite the total paralysis of his right arm due to an accident in his youth, Lester is not only a veteran of several Ironman and Ultraman competitions, he is a motivational speaker and youth advocate of The Never Stop Foundation that he created.
During 2009, Lester was awarded the ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete with a Disability, catapulting him into the mainstream consciousness.
Lester conceived Epic5 as a gift to Hawai‘i — a competitive offering that links all the Islands.
“After I won the ESPY, there was no doubt that I wanted to give back to the Islands for blessing me,” Lester says on the Epic5 website. “Without the votes of the people of Hawai‘i, I would not have won the ESPY.”
Roll, Lester’s partner on the Epic5 Challenge, was named one of 2009’s “25 Fittest Men in the World” by Men’s Fitness magazine.
Roll recently competed in the 2009 Ultraman World Championships, a three-day double iron-distance race that circumnavigates the Big Island, where he led the field by 10 minutes after the first day of competition.
Following a bicycle crash during the second day of the 170-mile bike leg, Roll completed the event in sixth place — an inspirational feat lauded by the triathlon world.
The Never Stop Foundation is encouraging youth to achieve their full potential through athletics as its main focus. The goal of The Never Stop Foundation is to help those in their formative years find their own true voice, help build confidence, improve communication skills and learn the values of discipline, trust, compassion, self-reliance and respect.
Visit www.EPIC5.com for more information on the Challenge. Information on the athletes can be found by visiting www.jasonplester.com and www.richroll.com, their respective websites.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
