A unique challenge for two Swiss academic institutions: the Race Across America 2017

Some time ago, the University of Health Sciences of the canton of Vaud (HESAV) founded Teampulse, a platform aimed at strengthening its innovation capacity and highlight its experience and projects. The first challenge featured on this platform (www.teampulse.ch), in collaboration with the School of Business and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD), is the Race Across America 2017 (RAAM’17).

The RAAM is a nine day nonstop ultra-endurance bicycle race. It is often considered as the toughest and longest endurance race in the world and goes from the United States West Coast to the East Coast, from Oceanside in California to Annapolis in Maryland.

The HESAV and the School of Business and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD) decided to register two teams for the 2017 edition of the race, which will take place in exactly one year. Runners, amateur athletes, staff members, students and partners of both academic institutions will enter the challenge after a one-year training. The goal of the HESAV and the HEIG-VD is twofold: promote health in sport and develop innovative technology.

Taking part in this race will also contribute to supporting research in the field of sport for children with a disability. Donations will be collected via a crowdfunding platform and will fund a research programme studying the impact of regular physical activity for children and young adults with a disability.

The Teampulse-RAAM’17 embodies values such as health, passion, solidarity, innovation. It is backed by several personalities such as the technical director of the Lausanne University Club volleyball team and former director of the sports department of the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), George-André Carrel, the Para-cycling athlete Silke Pan, the cardiologist and head of the heart surgery unit of the Vaud University Hospital (CHUV), René Prêtre, and the ecoexplorer Raphaël Domjan.

Team spirit will be a key element for the success of this project. During the race, the runners will be followed every day by a team of specialists (doctor, physiotherapist, mechanic, cook, driver and coordinator). In Switzerland, partners and the public will be able to follow the event thanks to broadcasting and regular briefings.

This race will also be a fantastic opportunity to promote the HESAV, the HEIG-VD and the canton of Vaud on the international stage as the Teampulse runners will be wearing the colours of the canton of Vaud and of the partner institutions and companies.
 

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