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Surprise Winner of Stage 1 - Dr. Rob Ripley

Dr. Robert Ripley (“Rob”) has a few stories, the one we want to tell right now is the one that started when he decided to sign up for the Atacama Crossing 2020. As many people know this race (as well as all others) was postponed due to COVID-19 and Rob is now finally racing at the Namib Race 2021, where he has just WON Stage 1.

Rob is no stranger to the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series, as an Emergency Room Physician in Bend, Oregon USA, he has been on the Medical Team for the series at the Namib Race (Namibia), the Gobi March (China), the Atacama Crossing (Chile) and The Last Desert (Antarctica).

Why did Rob decide to cross over from behind the scenes to competing in a race? Rob tells us: “When I first started thinking in earnest about running the Atacama Crossing it was 2019. I was thinking that running this crazy desert race would be an appropriate challenge to commemorate 5 years cancer free. I thought it would show that I had taken on the cancer (in my case, NK Cell Lymphoma) and came back stronger. And I thought maybe I could raise some money for patients going through cancer treatment. But I was worried that planning a celebration of 5 years cancer free before passing that date would be overly hubristic and tempting fate. So I put the race off until 2020. And the pandemic put that race off until 2021, and then 2022.”

As his plan B, instead of the Atacama Crossing in 2022, he jumped ahead and decided that the Namib Race 2021 would be his race, and now this race is commemorating that 7 years ago Rob finished his 4th and final round of chemotherapy.

Rob has been preparing for this race since 2019 and blogging since January 2020 – this is where you will be able to read some more of his stories, including his extensive experience with Nordic and cross-country skiing which is used as cross-training during the winter months. Rob sustained an injury during a freestyle (skate ski) race when a concussion was diagnosed by an individual he gives thanks and praise to on regular basis – his lovely wife Nancy (Nancy has also been on the Medical Team alongside Rob).

Another interesting fact about Rob’s skiing abilities is that he grew up in Alaska and cross-country skiing was his first sport – he would ski to and from school.

So far it looks like utilizing skiing as cross training is the way to go. We can’t wait to see how Rob progresses on the remaining stages of the Namib Race 2021.

What inspiration to kick off the Namib Race 2021.