We started BMA because we love racing and wanted to share some of our favorite places with you. But we still love racing and try to do it as often as possible. Hope to see you out there!
Big Mountain Adventure was started by 5 adventure enthusiasts: James, Mike, Tony, Gabi and Chelsea. We all moved from different parts of the US to Colorado. We met, began racing together, and then noticed that the adventure racing scene and community wasn't as active in the Front Range as it had been where we had all moved from. We missed it. So we decided to share our favorite places with others through races, in hopes that it would also help to foster a community of adventure lovers who enjoyed training, racing, and getting outside together.
Gabi Lester
I have always loved sports and competition: starting with equine jumpers, cross country, and track and field in Miami Florida, to fully enjoying the benefits Colorado has to offer: mountain biking, rock climbing, and best of all adventure racing!
My husband challenged me to try adventure racing in 2006, as it combined our love of adventure sports into one competitive team event. I was thrilled and fell in love with adventure racing ever since! Adventure racing has allowed me to develop mountain biking, trail running, rope skills, and orienteering to new heights. Best of all, I get to train and race with my husband, who is my best friend and coach.
Fortunately, we had the opportunity to race with the LifeQuest Adventure Racing team where we met and formed the Big Mountain Adventure Racing team and formed great friendships. Our team is so fun and has provided an exciting chance to race with other dedicated athletes and to reach new athletic heights. Big Mountain Adventure provides us the opportunity to promote the sport give back to the community.
In my life indoors I am a Veterinarian, with two cats and our puppy Denali, who is growing to be our new training partner.
Mike Lester
I have been enjoying outdoor sports such as rock climbing, mountain biking, and trekking since 2002. In 2006, I found an advertisement for an adventure race in Kentucky and decided to put together a team that included my wife and a friend to try out this interesting competitive sport that combined many of the activities I enjoyed doing separately on my own. Since then my wife and I have done our best to participate in as many adventure races as we could. At the time we were both still in school. I was working on my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering and my wife was working on her degree in Veterinary Medicine.
This period of our lives found us in the Midwest. Surprisingly, the adventure racing scene was alive and active there. Adventure racing fulfilled our desires for challenging outdoor activities that were difficult to find in the Midwest environment. As soon as we were both done with school we moved to our dream home of Colorado! Now that we have finished school we have much more time to dedicate to this exciting sport and will be participating in and hosting as many races as we can! After racing on 2, 3, and 4-person teams that all have included my wife the opportunity came up to join the LifeQuest Adventure racing team. We raced with LifeQuest for 1 year and now we've started our own team and our own adventure racing company. I'm excited about sharing my love of adventure racing with you!
Tony Lutack
Although I have competed in many different sports, I have always felt that something was missing. After moving to Colorado in 2007, everything started to fall into place. I had never experienced such an amazing place, and it only seemed natural for me to take my adventurous spirit outdoors.
As a Certified Personal Trainer and SPIN Instructor I have full understanding of fitness and what it takes to become an elite athlete. As the owner of two small businesses I have a full appreciation of what it takes to market and promote a business. Having served my country as a United States Coast Guard Port Security Specialist, I am disciplined and squared away. As a husband and father I have a complete respect for what life has to offer.
I am one of five Co-founders of Big Mountain Adventure. I have the amazing opportunity to be part of an extraordinary team with wonderful talented teammates. With all our blessings and the generosity of our sponsors, I know that we have the ability to go far in the sport of adventure racing.
About the Team
Tony is the team captain of Big Mountain Adventure Racing, the BMA racing team. Below are the members that will make up that team for 2013.