Jerry’s Baddle is a biathlon race that combines class V kayaking with a grueling 25-mile road bike ride. The Baddle was founded in 2006 to honor the memory of Jerry Beckwith, a local boater and biker who succumbed to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) that same year. Jerry was a beloved member of the Green River community. He demonstrated great courage and strength throughout his life and especially in his last years as he battled ALS. The small group of racers who come out each Spring to participate in the Baddle see this as a fitting way to remember Jerry–a celebration of life, community, and physical health.
I participated in Jerry’s Baddle in 2008 for the first time, teaming up with my friend Bryan to do it as a team so that I paddled the river and he rode the bike leg. In 2010 I returned with a bike of my own to do the full course as a solo racer. It’s truly a grueling course and a very different challenge from most races that are held in the Southeast. I documented the day with the help of my good friend, the talented photographer Anthony Bellemare (abellemare.com). As Mefford Williams says in the video, it’s a daunting thought when you sit at the starting line and consider that you have to push your body to its limits for the coming two hours over a race course that presents many opportunities to incur severe bodily injury. It’s also a tremendously exhilarating feeling to reach the finish line and spend the rest of the afternoon by the river, enjoying life with your friends and celebrating Jerry.
I also wrote an article on the race for Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine. Click the image to load a readable size:
