Van Halen on Wheels -- well, at least two-thirds. Meet David Lee

David Lee Roth is the lead singer of Van Halen.
David Lee is an amazing challenged athlete who I've had the pleasure of riding with a lot last year.
David Lee (from CAF) is the real rock star!! I can't wait to ride down the coast him again.


Here is a  neat video showing his power when he uses his hand cycle - click here


MDC RIDER PROFILE


David Lee, CAF Athlete
Age: 41
Resides: Cardiff, CA


David was a Biology/Kinesiology double major at the University of Colorado, Boulder when he was struck by a car while riding a motorcycle. Although the accident left him as a T6 paraplegic he doesn’t stop playing sports because he believes athletics make him feel alive. After his first wheelchair race (The Bolder Boulder 10K) he went on to complete more than 40 marathons, winning eight of them. He was still not content and decided to add another discipline to an already intense training schedule so that he could attempt the Chicago Sun-Times Triathlon. Lee dominated his goal of competing in the Ironman, racing in Ironman Canada for four consecutive years (1995-1999), but he was forced to retire from the triathlon after being hit by a car in November 1999 while he was training for Ironman New Zealand near his home in California.

The next few years were tough for Lee, as he lost his left kidney and fractured both his L1 and L2 vertebrae when his spine collapsed in August 2002. After the collapse, he required extensive experimental surgery to repair the shattered spinal column. The August 2002 surgery failed, requiring further experimental surgery the following January.

After a long rehabilitation, David entered a grueling handcycle race in Alaska. In Challenge Alaska, he placed second then entered another handcycle race in Redlands, California where he crushed his competition. Along with winning his division in Sadler’s Ultra Challenge, David competed in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing in the Time Trial and Road Race events. The rest is history and Lee is now a well-known figure on the international handcycling stage. David has participated in the MDC for four consecutive years and he will ride down the coast for the fifth time this October… What a rockstar!