August 9 at Lake Tahoe kicks off a four-day training session for two adaptive athletes on an adventure that culminates in a January 17, 2012 arrival at the South Pole. While they’ll be heading towards the Pole in a small group with just guides and a documentary team, they’re looking for a virtual “armada” of paddlers to join them in their Tahoe training, either paddling along or cheering from shore as the wrap up each leg.

John Davis

As part of rigorous training for a 100-mile journey across the Antarctic landscape – all of which will be professionally filmed – Lake Tahoe residents and spinal cord-injury athletes John Davis, a two-time Paralympics gold medalist, and Grant Korgan, a world-class kayaker and adventurer, are set to kayak approximately 50 miles in 4 days following the Lake Tahoe Water Trail. Seasoned guides Doug Stoup and Tal Fletcher of Lake Tahoe will accompany Davis and Korgan on stand up paddleboards.

Davis rates paddling Lake Tahoe as a soulful experience. “You’re completely surrounded by snowcapped peaks while sitting atop tranquil waters so clear that you can literally see 75 feet down. But the lake also makes for a fantastic cross-training venue as we’ll be paddling approximately 96,800 paddle strokes, just more than half the 176,174 pole pushes required to trek 100 miles across the frozen landscape to the South Pole.”

Grant Korgan

“The Push” expedition team encourages the public to join the paddle, whether it be for an hour or day, creating a human-powered armada to follow and cheer on the team via kayaks and stand up paddleboards. According to Korgan, “With this Lake Tahoe paddle training event, as well as the overall mission of ‘The Push,’ we hope to inspire people of all walks of life that they too can achieve the seemingly insurmountable. We encourage them to push their own everyday limits and live up to their ultimate potential.”

If you’d like to paddle along or cheer from the shore, here’s the rough schedule of events:

Day 1

Tuesday, August 9, 10 miles

6 a.m.: Launch from Sunnyside Restaurant & Lodge on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe paddling clockwise 7 miles to Carnelian Bay, California.

Approx. Noon: “The Push” team will land at a lakefront estate for a private lunch and presentation. Any paddling spectators can head on to Waterman’s Landing in Carnelian Bay for a light lunch.

“The Push” team then paddles to Waterman’s Landing for a quick stop before continuing onto Tahoe Vista, California, completing leg one

Approx. 5 p.m.: Arrive at Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort. One of the most festive days of the trip, this landing is open to the public and will include live music, along with free stand up paddleboard and kayak rentals and demonstrations.

Day 2

Wednesday, August 10, 16 miles

8 a.m.: Departing Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort and paddle 16 miles along the North Shore to camp lakeside on Nevada’s East Shore.

Day 3

Thursday, August 11, 12 miles

Paddle from East Shore clockwise along the lake to a campground located on Tahoe’s West Shore

Day 4

Friday, August 12, 12 miles

Depart early morning and paddle to the historic Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point on the West Shore, 10 miles south of Tahoe City

Noon: Picnic lunch at Ehrman Mansion, then continue on to Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge

Approx. 6 p.m.: Arrive at Sunnyside Restaurant & Lodge. Another great spectator and cheering opportunity.

“The Push” team requests that all participants that join them in the training use only human-powered transportation along the route. Get details on kayak and stand up paddle board rentals here, and find complete details for lodging, dining and North Lake Tahoe.

More about “The Push”

“The Push” Lake Tahoe Paddle Event is the second training event for the athletes, who visited Norway’s Svalbard arctic archipelago this past spring. A third filmed training session hits the ice in South America this September, with a final training event in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert this October. “The Push” is targeting a documentary film release for summer/fall of 2012. Follow the journey of “The Push.”

More about The Lake Tahoe Water Trail

“The Push” is in support of the High Fives Foundation, a California-based non-profit organization whose mission is to help winter athletes suffering life-altering injuries get back on their feet, and ideally, get back to their sport.