This weekend at the Lumberjack World Championships in Hayward, WI I won my 8th log rolling world title. Here is the final match, minus the second fall Darren Hudson got on me (for some reason it wasn’t filmed).

I think I did a pretty good job of covering everything that I wanted to say when I was given my award.  Well, almost everything.  I would also like to say something how the VA health care system once again failed in its obligation to provide me with the necessary care and nearly cost me 2.5 months of training and my 8th log rolling world title.

After spending Monday and Tuesday in our local (private, non-VA) hospital with my wife as she gave birth to our first child, I finally succumbed to my deteriorating condition and complete exhaustion and went to VA urgent care in Minneapolis.  That night I spent 6 hours waiting because they apparently they ran out of doctors and had to call some in (they then had the audacity to ask me to be “extra nice” to the doctor because and was only supposed to work on weekends but got called in midweek).  I had trouble understanding how they were “backed up” when there were only four of us waiting.

Despite the fact I had been bitten by three ticks two months earlier and had nearly all the symptoms of Lymes (and was suggesting the entire time that I have Lymes) I was sent home empty handed pending an out-of-state blood test (that may or may not reveal that I have Lymes Disease, even if I have it).   Had I not consulted with medical professionals outside the VA and acquired the necessary antibiotics my condition would not have improved enough to compete in the Lumberjack World Championships, let alone win another log rolling world title.

As much as I would like to give the VA the benefit of the doubt, I find myself unable to do so based on their prior track record of being unable to provide me with the necessary medical care.  It took me over a year of waiting and a congressional inquiry into my case until I was finally given a prosthetic arm to replace the one I received at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  (I received a new one within a week of the inquiry).  I bounced around the VA system for year and a half by myself before I was finally assigned a patient advocate to help with my transition from Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  During that time I was unsure how to acquire meds, make appoints, or go through the disability rating process.  And despite my many calls to VA personnel to find out when the appoints were for disability rating, I was informed that after months of waiting I had missed all of them because the “system” made the appointments without sending me a letter or issuing a call notification.  After these repeated displays of incompetence, I cannot give the VA the benefit of the doubt any longer.

To me the moral of the story is clear.  The VA is incapable of providing adequate medical care in a timely fashion.  The system is too big, too bureaucratic, and apparently has no oversight whatsoever.  I have finally learned that if I’m going to receive adequate medical care I need to go elsewhere, even if I have to use my disability payments to pay for it.  It’s a shame that I had to risk 2.5 months of training and my 8th log rolling world title to realize it.

Dear Athletes:

As you may be aware, ESPN Outdoors is shifting its focus and will now be concentrating its energies and resources on BASS and the Saturday Outdoors programming block. In evaluating current and future programming opportunities, ESPN has made the difficult decision that the Great Outdoor Games will not return.

With your partnership and support, the ESPN Great Outdoor Games set a new standard for outdoor sports competition. The event was successful on many fronts, generating strong ratings, passionate crowds, two Sports Emmy awards and other honors and we wish to thank all who contributed to those successes. We hope you will continue to support ESPN Outdoors as we begin a new chapter in its development.

Chris Prunty

ESPN Outdoors

I’ll admit we all saw it coming after they suspended the 2006 games. Because 2005 in Orlando, FL was a logistical flop on a multi-million dollar scale, it comes as no surprise they have been terminated. But still, I kind of feel like I’ve been kicked in the stomach right now. I have a lot of great memories from ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games. Three years in Lake Placid, NY, one year in Reno, NV, one year in Madison, WI, and the final year in Orlando, FL are wonderful memories that will not soon be forgotten. I’m fortunate enough to be tied with David Bolstad with 14 medals, the most ever won from the contest. Without the games, my sister and I would never have won ESPY awards.
ESPN, thank you for your support and publicity over the years. It will not be soon forgotten.

Wow…. What a crazy last three weeks. I’ll jump back to the Great Outdoor Games VI in Orlando, FL at Disney World. First things first: who decided to have it in Florida during hurricane season? We managed to pull through with a few delays and interruptions thanks to Hurricane Dennis. I honestly don’t know how people can live in Florida. The entire state is a giant swamp, making it so incredibly humid. Anyway, I had all my events, the Men’s Boom Run, Men’s Log Roll, and the Team Relay all on the last day. Log Roll came first. I rolled Travis Wells in the quarterfinals, Fred Scheer in the semis, and Jamie Fischer in the finals to win a gold medal. I dunno why, but my quads were smoked. I’m thinking my lack of time on the bike this summer had something to do with it. Sure I won, but it was definitely by the narrowest margin I’ve ever had. My legs felt like big spongy stumps under my body. I was definitely not rolling up to my ability.

Next came the boom run. My legs felt better by this time, but not much. I’ll be honest, I credit luck with the fact I even made it past the quarter finals. My opponent fell on the last log, with me a full 2 logs behind (apparently my start was a “little slow”, next year I need to read the rules about how you start before I run the boom). I got knocked out in the semis by a faster opponent. He ran well, I didn’t, he earned his trip to the finals, I earned my trip to the consolation round. My run for 3rd and 4th was pretty well focused. Even when we both fell, I remounted the log very quickly and ran to the finish ahead of him earning a bronze medal. All in all, I ran slow. I was tired and sore and felt like I was running in slow motion. Oh well, better luck next year, right?

Our relay team had a less than glamorous performance for the weekend, leaving us without a medal. Although it was beyond my control, I was hoping very much to get a medal in one more event to make me the all time medal winner. At the moment I’m tied with Jason Wynyard with 14 medals from the Great Outdoor Games. 15 medals would have been very nice, although I didn’t know how many medals I even had until someone from ESPN told me. Sorry but I don’t count wins, I count losses. Nobody works on their win, everyone works on their loss.

That’s all I have till tomorrow or the day after. I’d like to tell you about the ESPYs tonight but the red wine is starting to get to me. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about my little experiences seeing/meeting Andy Roddick, Curt Schilling, Payton Manning and Mathew Perry, and going to the Playboy Mansion.