So this is WAY past due, considering team changes happened at the end of May, but blogging has been basically impossible for two months, so here it is – late but still applicable.
Introducing . . . drum roll, please. . . TEAM TANDEM!
Saturday afternoon, we had a “make a memory” day with the new team. We decided to go to a park and rent bikes. On the way, we said, “Wouldn’t it be cool to rent a tandem bike?” and it just sort of evolved into our team name. The word tandem means “two or more people working together,” or “alongside each other; together.”
“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
MATTHEW 18:20
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each does its work.”
EPHESIANS 4:15 and 16
Meet Team Tandem
NAME: Scott Taylor
CURRENT HOMETOWN: Rogers, Arkansas
OTHER PLACES HE’S LIVED: Augusta, GA; Battle Creek, MI; Phoenix, AZ; Charlotte, NC; Lincolnton, NC; Lancaster, PA; Rogers, AK; Lynchburg, VA
LIFE BEFORE THE RACE: Dec. ’10 graduate of Liberty University with a degree in Math
BUCKET LIST ITEM: to run the entire Appalachian Trail (2,182 miles from Georgia to Maine)
FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD: Mamma Taylor’s baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and spinach and strawberry salad
FAVORITE WAY TO ESCAPE: trail run alone in the mountains
CRAZIEST MOMENT ON THE RACE (so far): trying to light a fire using Hindu prayer flags on a mountain in Nepal
RANDOMNESS:
- Scott’s a crazy runner, and I mean crazy. He runs hundred-miles races up mountains. And then he does it again. I can only vaguely appreciate this from my own marathon days, but 100 miles, really?
- Scott has mad guitar skills.
- He almost lost a couple of fingers when he was, like, 12.
- Scott’s knowledge of math surpassed yours in about the seventh grade.
- He has to duck to get through some of the doorways.
NAME: Roberto Calderon
HOMETOWN: The Bronx, New York City
OTHER PLACES HE’S LIVED: Los Angeles, California
LIFE BEFORE THE RACE: May ’09 graduate of Occidental University with a degree in International Affairs; worked as a research assistant/recruiter at Albert Einstein College of Medicine; then did absolutely nothing for 8 months before the Race
BUCKET LIST ITEMS: to ride a horse in Andalusia, Spain, to go to the San Diego Comi-Con in costume, and I’m pretty sure he’s set on catching a chicken this month
FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD: New York-style pizza
FAVORITE WAY(S) TO ESCAPE: sitting in a coffee shop or Barnes & Noble, reading, sipping, and/or talking
CRAZIEST MOMENT ON THE RACE (so far): being asked to kill a pigeon by the women in Nepal, attempting to do so, failing, and being laughed at
RANDOMNESS:
- Roberto was really Indiana Jones in a former life. He has a hat, a hunting knife, and is apparently on the hunt for a whip while on the Race.
- Roberto had lost crazy weight these last 4 months. Don’t be fooled – he still manages to eat 4 bowls of spaghetti at dinner and still drop 3 pounds
before morning. - He played rugby in college.
- He doesn’t have any siblings, but he does have a pet turtle named Lea (which was changed from “Leo” after discovering that he was really a she). Lea has been around since Roberto was in kindergarten, and she contracted pneumonia a few years ago.
- Roberto brought every kind of technology imaginable to the World Race. He’s the only one who managed to make it to a mountain in Swaziland with 3G and a bag of Starbucks breakfast blend (which he so kindly shared with all his teammates).
- Roberto loves Star Wars, comics and movies. He’s been begging to watch Casablanca all month now (and The Lion King. . .).
- Roberto makes the most amazing sandwiches, no matter what we have in the fridge. Except this one time when he made a sandwich with macaroni, bologna, cheese, mayo, and hot sauce. That one was a little weird.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT ROBERTO: Roberto is always taking care of people. He greets you with a smile, he shares everything, and he makes sure that you are taken care of and happy. He makes everyone laugh all the time, and he always has a helping hand ready and available.
NAME: Faith Batzinger
CURRENT HOMETOWN: Indianapolis, Indiana
OTHER PLACES SHE’S LIVED: Chiang Mai, Thailand; Singapore; Altamont, NY; South Bend, IN
LIFE BEFORE THE RACE: May ’09 graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Social
Work; worked for AmeriCorps
BUCKET LIST ITEMS: to take a road trip down the west coast, to open her own business
FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD: warm corn casserole
FAVORITE WAY TO ESCAPE: doing crafts in front of hours and hours of a Korean drama series
CRAZIEST MOMENT ON THE RACE (so far): taking a bus load full of kids home from the zoo in Nepal while trying to keep track of them on public transportation
RANDOMNESS:
- Faith just shaved her head in Swazi! She’s a brave one.
- She is another of the guitar players we have on our team.
- Her parents met in high school and wrote letters back and forth from Thailand to the States for 9 years before marrying.
- She went to an MC Hammer concert 2 years ago at the Indiana State Fair.
- She is learning how to juggle.
- She knows like 5 languages.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT FAITH: Faith has a huge heart for people. Hardly an hour passes when she doesn’t offer a word of encouragement to someone. She has a hunger for the Lord, and she earnestly seeks after Him. What’s not to love about Faith?
NAME: Anne Embree
CURRENT HOMETOWN: Port Williams, Nova Scotia, Canada
OTHER PLACES SHE’S LIVED: St. John’s, Newfoundland
LIFE BEFORE THE RACE: May ’09 graduate of Memorial University with ; worked at agricultural research station
BUCKET LIST ITEMS: to be a surfer, to perform at an open mic night, to learn how to play the banjo
FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD: yogurt with fresh fruit; ice cream
FAVORITE WAY TO ESCAPE: going for a walk/hike in the woods; the beach; anything involving water
CRAZIEST MOMENT ON THE RACE (so far): exploring abandoned mines in a unknown country in Moldova
RANDOMNESS:
- Anne is a saver. She got through the first 3 months of the Race on one bottle of shampoo.
- She is the youngest in her family. She has 6 brothers and is the only girl. She grew up on an apple/strawberry orchard in Nova Scotia.
- She loves to eat.
- She once spent a summer working at a 7-11.
- She has acquired a number of nicknames on the Race, most resulting from the variations on the name “Anne” in each country. So far, she’s been Anne, Annie, Anya, Ana, and Annabelle, among others.
- We tease her about her Canadian ways of saying things, like saying “aboot” and “hoose” for “about” and “house.” Ultimate Frisbee and waterfall jumping are one of her favorite activities.
- Anne is a very talented guitarist and singer.
- Anne is a huge proponent of hydration. She daily encourages her teammates to consume adequate amounts of water.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT ANNE: Anne is a shining light in any room. She is always positive and enthusiastic. She loves people and loves life and is constantly encouraging others. She has a heart for worship and worships the Lord daily. She has an adventurous spirit, and there are few things she won’t try.
NAME: Tabitha “Tabi” Blanchard, team leader
CURRENT HOMETOWN: Menomonie, Wisconsin
OTHER PLACES SHE’S LIVED: Eau Claire, WI
LIFE BEFORE THE RACE: May ’09 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Stout with a degree in interior design; worked as a CAD technician until Summer ’10; then worked as a barista at Legacy Chocolates, a specialty gourmet chocolate and coffee shop
BUCKET LIST ITEM(s): to play at an open mic night, to hitchhike somewhere, to speak a second language fluently, to bungeee jump
FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD(s): homemade from-scratch chocolate chip cookies
FAVORITE WAY(s) TO ESCAPE: going for a bike ride or run in the fall
CRAZIEST MOMENT ON THE RACE (so far): stepping foot into Tibet
RANDOMNESS:
- Tabi loves rock climbing and Pride and Prejudice.
- Tabi also shaved her head a few days ago. There must be something in the water!
- Tabi can do about a million push-ups without getting tired.
- She was a pole vaulter for 6 years.
- She loves coffee more than life itself.
- She once impaled her index finger with a flathead screwdriver.
- She studied abroad in Australia.
- She loves to sweep and she’s darn good at it.
- She loves to chop vegetables and stir things.
- She participated in the swing dance club in college and even did a few aerials.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT TABI: Tabi has a passion for life. She is bold and confident and willing to step out into adventure. She is always smiling and caring for others. She is an amazing leader because she cares for people and has great Godly wisdom to bring to people’s lives.
NAME: Lindsey Gay
CURRENT HOMETOWN: Lineville, Alabama
OTHER PLACES SHE’S LIVED: Montgomery, AL
LIFE BEFORE THE RACE: DEC ’10 graduate from Faulkner University with a degree in Business Administration; while in school she worked as a waitress at Peyton’s Place, at Balch and Binghum law firm, and at the YMCA
BUCKET LIST ITEM(s): to learn how to play the piano, to try out for the Dallas Cowboy
cheerleaders, to own her own yoga studio and/or health food store
FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD(s): hot wings
FAVORITE WAY(s) TO ESCAPE: kayaking or driving to the beach and watching the sun come up
CRAZIEST MOMENT ON THE RACE (so far): riding down the side of the mountain with her team on their way to their ministry site
RANDOMNESS:
- Lindsey loves to wear bright clothing.
- It took her 4 minutes to jump off the rock into the water at the bottom of the waterfall. She wasn’t afraid of the jump, just the cold water.
- One of her goals in life is to get paid to work out.
- She once drove (or maybe slept) from Alabama to San Francisco. It took 3 and a half days.
- She had never been outside of the US before the World Race. Go big or go home.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT LINDSEY: Lindsey is on fire for God. She is so in tune with the Spirit and listens to His leading. She knows just the right words to say to people in their struggles. Her way of speaking can make you laugh out loud, but what she has to say is powerful.
Okay, at the request of my teammates, I will complete my own profile information. (Actually, they just want to copy this blog.)
NAME: Erin Knight
CURRENT HOMETOWN: Greenville, South Carolina
LIFE BEFORE THE RACE: May ’08 graduate of Furman University with degrees in music and elementary education; worked as a 4th grade teacher for two and a half years; also performed harp professionally
BUCKET LIST ITEM(s): to play the bagpipes, to make amazing cheesecake (I’m accepting recipes via e-mail), to skydive, to own my own business
FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD(s): Zaxby’s chicken fingers with special Zax sauce
FAVORITE WAY(s) TO ESCAPE: driving to the mountains alone listening to the radio 
CRAZIEST MOMENT ON THE RACE (so far): riding on top of a public bus in Nepal and ducking to miss the power lines by inches
RANDOMNESS:
- Erin is teaching herself how to play fiddle music.
- She studied abroad in Arezzo, Italy, where “Life is Beautiful” was filmed.
- She once played Cinderella’s body double in a stage production.
- She’s obsessed with Twizzlers.
- She once wore a one-piece suit that was half red-and-white stripes and half blue with white stars for the 4th of July.
- She locked herself out of her car two days in a row.
