The Race Across America (RAAM) is a testament to human endurance and camaraderie, challenging participants to push beyond physical limits while forging deep bonds. Individual riders and/or teams ride from Oceanside, CA to Atlantic City, NJ, relay-style, riding 24 hours a day for up to nine days through the heat, rain, and hills, crossing 13 states, the desert, Rocky Mountains, and hills of Appalachia. For Team Washington—comprised of eight team members, including Kogod School of Business dean Dave Marchick and Kogod alumnae Natalie Oliver and Inken Ehlers—this punishing cross-country odyssey was not just about the miles covered. Paramount to the cycling itself was the pursuit to raise money for the American University students and athletes.
Dean Marchick (DM): My longtime good friend Tim Punke called me earlier in the year and said, “Let's do RAAM! We can ride a few hours a day. We can see the country, visit national parks, walk Main Street in small towns, and have fun.” Neither he nor I knew what we were signing up for. It was pure misery–the hardest mental test of my life. Tim also recruited his amazing family—his wife Lori and three children—Jack (17), Tucker (15), and Kiki (13), as well as two prominent attorneys, Brian Pomper and Paul Balkan. Kiki is the youngest female ever to complete RAAM. Since our team emanated from DC and Seattle, we called ourselves “Team Washington.”
Natalie Oliver (NO): During a “hike with the dean" event for the sustainability club, Dean Dave invited me to join his team for a cross-country bike race, joking that my soccer background meant I wouldn't mind being around stinky people! I thought, “why not?” I’d see the country, spend time outdoors, and meet cool people. Little did I know I would sleep little, drive most of the day, and only eat tortilla and hummus wraps!
Inken Ehlers (IE): When Natalie asked if I wanted to join the crew for the Race Across America, I immediately said yes. As someone who is not from the US, I found it an amazing opportunity to see the country while taking on an exciting challenge. I am incredibly grateful to Dean Dave and the rest of the team for trusting me with this responsibility. This was my first experience with something of this scale, and in hindsight, it’s probably best that I did not fully grasp just how intense it would be when I agreed to join!
NO: Our responsibilities included planning biker schedules, managing transitions onto and off the road, ensuring bikers had radio communications, water, lights, and gear, and assisting with hydration and meals. I drove about 15 hours daily, following bikers and pulling over on busy interstates to wait for them. I also navigated using our RAAM route book to keep bikers on the strict route. Keeping the truck and motor home organized and preparing meals was crucial, especially since our eight-person team only had two crew members, unlike other teams with 10 to 15 crew members.