Team FootbikeUSA
 Gary "Grayhound" Schmitt
Team FootbikeUSA
Team Captain
55 years old
Indianapolis, Indiana
Background: bike racing, running, hiking, walking, and inline skate racing for a total of 40 years (so far). In other words, I've always enjoyed doing something away from home in an attempt to avoid mowing the grass.
At the beginning, I tried my son's Razor scooter, confirming that adults needed something larger and bought a 12" wheel scooter from the toy store. Cross trained for skate racing with it, found that it was a great workout. Drooled over the pictures of the scooters with the big front wheels and thought that even though they would be faster, they would also be safer. As it turns out, they ARE safer while still a great workout. The really great thing too is that they are equally good for a relaxing stroll with the kids through the neighborhood. It's just amazing to me the friendly reaction I get from people of any age. Kids yell "scooter bike" and then adults tell stories of their childhood scooters. It's new to some, nostalgia to others. Everybody smiles! It's a beautifully simple machine that's been updated to make it even more efficient and enjoyable. It's a very appealing and healthy activity.
 Chris "The Cannibal" Cox
Age: 36
West Bountiful, Utah
Chris Says:
I was born, barely. The doctor said I was deep blue with a bad attitude. I tried base jumping out of my crib and forgot my chute. I found a big black eye from trying to ride the tube in the bathtub. There were a few other extreme sports events before I hit 9 months that my Mom won't speak about to this very day for fear of child services.
It was not hard for me to find the thrill of wakeboarding, snowmobiling, downhill skiing, paragliding, backpacking, hiking, and of course jerky eating contests. Running to stay fit and on top of my game came easy on my cross country track team. Then running on the four-wheeling dirt roads of the southern Utah dessert, or more often than not; running from getting caught for something I didn't do.
Then I discovered the Bicycle. The freedom, the speed, the serenity of passing the miles on my bike was my new tonic. I fell in love with riding and embraced it with all I knew. I even tried my hand at the Criteriums but faltered after witnessing some bad crashes and bad breaks. I decided I was just going to ride my ride. Mountain bikes, road bikes, single tracks or road trips, when do we leave?
Almost 2 years ago a friend of mine showed up with this Footbike. I said no, he said yes, I said no, he said yes, I said no and he kept coming back. After I realized that he wasn't trying to replace my beloved bikes, I got on the thing. What can I say now? I love my Footbike.
I should say that WE love our Footbike's. My wife Sarah and I have introduced this fantastic sport to the entire state of Utah and Idaho. We have dozens of new footbiking friends and with the help of Spartacus and Greyhound we are now competing and both own standing US speed records in the marathon distance. Our twin babies and our two amazing sons join us on family kicks and love every minute of it, we ARE Footbike!
Come visit us in Utah and help us get ready for Italy and the 2010 World Footbiking Championships.
See us at: http://kickitmarketing.blogspot.com/
Keep kickin in fear of "The Cannibal". Ci Vediamo a Italia.
I am, The Cannibal
 Sarah "Super Sonic" Cox
Age: 34
West Bountiful, Utah
Married for 13 years and
mother of 4 children
(ages 7, 4, and two 1 year olds)
Athletic Interests:
Running, mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, wake boarding, downhill skiing, inline skating and of course Footbiking.
Footbiking Accomplishments:
United States Women's Record for
the 26.2 mile distance. 1:56:54
I have always had a love for playing outdoors. I think I can attribute some of this to my brother who is just over 18 months older than I am. As a kid I followed him everywhere and tried to keep up with him. It didn't matter whether we were running around in the mountains across the street from where I lived, or climbing, or jumping off roofs or playing baseball at the park, I just wanted in. If you told me that I couldn't play because I was a girl then the game was on!
As an adult I am often at my best when hang'n with boys (my husband and his buddies) and taking on the challenge of the extreme 'boys' games like snowmobiling, paragliding, wakeboarding and Mountain Biking. I think what it comes down to is; I love to play and I love to be outside.
When I discovered Footbiking 1 year ago I became an instant addict. I fell in love with the motion and the opportunity it gave me to get outside, get some fresh air and get my heart pumping, besides it is so fun and different from anything else I have tried. When given the opportunity to compete in the Utah Valley Marathon (UVM) I jumped on my Footbike and kicked things up a notch to see if I could do it. Racing in the UVM was exhilarating and was a great achievement for me. This gave me a thrill for competition I didn't know I had. I am honored now to be a part of Team Footbike USA (and the only Woman as it stands right now on the team, come on ladies). I plan to compete in the 2010 World Footbiking Championships and love having this goal to work toward.
Each day when I go out I set out to beat my personal best from the day before, this gives me something new to work on each day. Every day I push myself a little harder and a little faster to see what I can do.
Sarah Says:
This next year I am dedicated to becoming a stronger athlete so that at the World Championship races I can compete with honor for my family for my Country and for myself. I want to put US women on the map for this sport.
 Mike "Cruzer" Santa Cruz
Age: 44
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Related Interests: Road cycling, mountain biking, hiking and Footbiking.
Other Interests: Family, bodysurfing, water-skiing, music, guitars and cars!
Website/Blog: www.santacruzmarketingco.com
Born in East L.A. I grew up in some rough neighborhoods until moving to Downey, CA. where it was safe to ride your bike to school and not have to walk home. I got hooked on BMX'ing and raced a few local tracks until breaking my ankle on a jump.
By the age of 20, my focus changed to cars and got my first real job in the automotive industry. My career brought me further south near the Cleveland National Forest surrounded by a mecca of hiking and biking trails. I quickly got my bike jones back and turned a rigid, steel frame, 8-speed Diamondback Hybrid into a mountain bike. After many bent wheels and chewed up chain rings I stepped up and got my first full boinger, a GT/ LTS. Once I got the right gear and graduated to an Ellsworth Truth, I committed myself to solo and team race events like the Sea Otter Classic and NORBA Cup Races in Big Bear, Ca. Mostly finishing mid-pack in my class, I realized I was not the fastest but consistent so the moniker 'Cruzer' stuck. Road biking helped in cross training for endurance events and finishing The Counting Coupe; a 44 mile, 8,000 ft. elevation gain event reminds one to pace oneself and above all else, have fun. Being new to Footbiking, I know I will continue to have fun training for events and am flattered to be a member of Team Footbike USA and proud to represent my country.
Events Participated:
2005, 2006 Warriors Society Counting Coup
2004, 2006 Tour De Palm Springs Century Road Ride
NORBA Cup Series Races
24-Hours of Adrenaline XC Race Team
12 Hours of Big Bear
2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Sea Otter Classic XC
Goals:
Continue creating interest in Footbiking in So. Cal. and everywhere it takes me.
Footbike in marathons and fundraising events.
Complete the Vision Quest (56 mi./11,000ft. gain).
See the Tour De France in person before Lance retires again.
Compete in the 2010 IKSA Footbike World Championships in Italy.
 Liza "d'Gecko" Hyatt
Age: Wouldn't you like to know.
Indianapolis, Indiana.
Related Interests: Cycling, Art, Blue Skies, Trees and Footbiking.
Other Interests: Family, Walking, Competitive Axe Throwing, and Knitting.
Liza is an art therapist, and a parent of a 12 year old daughter who also likes to scoot (has her own FB City). Liza also trail runs, rides a bike, does yoga, is an avid reader, and a published poet. Her fitness goals are to be able to stay healthy and enjoy a mix of lifelong activities. She feels that footbiking fits in very nicely with her routines. Racing a Footbike is also appealing to her because it pushes her a little farther in her training and fitness.
Liza really enjoyed the Utah Valley Marathon (her first race) because of the nice people, beautiful scenery, and the adventurous course. She looks forward to racing again, and is training for the Footbike World Championships in Italy 2010.
Liza holds the current US marathon distance record in her age category.
 Robert "BobCat" Schutz
Age: 67
Sparta, New Jersey
Occupation: Retired physical education teacher and gymnastics school owner.
Family: My primary life interest, married, three children and five grand children.
Current recreational fitness interests: Footbiking, mountain biking, stand up paddle surfing, kayaking, roller skiing, cross country skiing, extreme hiking with my dog, weight throwing, weight training and gymnastic fitness training.
My life and achievements:
As a child I was not gifted athletically, and met with little success in most sports. Being an imaginative child, I honed my warrior skills in the woods behind our house, doing battle with imaginary opponents, heaving rocks, throwing spears, jumping, climbing and lifting weights. I emerged with this skill set and new found abilities, and managed to meet with some success on the football team as a freshman.
As a sophomore I discovered I had developed an aptitude for jumping and throwing things, even though not of great stature at 5'8”and 170 pounds. I found my niche in the field events and soon became successful in the shot put, discus, and long jump and pursued improvement with an obsessive passion. By the time I graduated Montclair State University, I had significant recognized success in the shot put, discus, triple jump and weightlifting. I competed regularly in the field events after college until I started cross-country ski racing in the late 70s, and continued until I began footbiking in 2000.
After college I began teaching physical education and pursuing my life's passion of fitness and exercise physiology study and research. I married, began raising our children and my wife and I opened a gymnastic school in 1975, which we still run today.
In that course of time I have tried to live what I preach regarding fitness and health. Each year I set out to accomplish a physical challenge for myself, some of which have been: mountain bike 100 miles, roller ski 100 miles, and race several 50 and 60 km ski marathons.
Footbiking Goals and Accomplishments:
I began footbiking in 2000. It has been my main type of endurance training since that time. I saw the potential for this as a great fitness tool which would offer life long participation. I developed a physical education curriculum and upon my recommendation the school purchased several off road footbike/scooters, which were incorporated into the 4th and 5th grade physical educational curriculum and intramural program. That was the beginning of my footbike mission to bring this great tool to as many people as I can.
Since the fall of 2000, more than 95% of my footbiking has been off road. I have footbiked over 15,000 miles, climbed an estimated 783,000 vertical feet, contributed 40 miles in two days to the Dogs Across America dog scootering event, and competed as the only footbike entry in an 8 mile trail run. In the last few months I have started riding my Footbike Street model and Track model on the road. I am coming out of the woods and taking my mission of footbike evangelism on the road.
If you would like to try a Footbike, if you are a physical education teacher and would like to find out how to implement footbikes into your curriculum, or pick my brain, find me at www.schutzgymnastics.com.
 Mat "OneT" Greensides
Age:32
West Valley City, UT
Interests: Footbiking, Snowmobiling, Swimming, Camping, and Traveling.
Born and raised in Utah and married to an amazing woman. We’ve got 3 girls and one shotgun. If having kids were a competition I would have three more and get another shotgun.
Swimming was my first competitive love. Through High School I swam for school records and a medal at the state meet.
Within the last 3 years I took up running and took on several 5k races including the Ragnar Relay. I don’t really enjoy running but did it for the exercise. I also want to think I was starting to become quite good at it.
Then I was introduced to the Footbike. I instantly understood what this thing was meant to be. And what it could mean to me. I jumped on it and 5 months later was in my first competition with a podium finish. I took a chance to go race at this years World event and see what it was like to race against the pro’s. I don’t see an end to the fascination of this sport and how strong I am becoming without breaking down my body to do it. Footbike’s Rock!
Steve 'Boa' Loewenkamp
Age 42
Fort Collins, CO
Married, Father of 3 girls!
Growing up in Arizona I discovered my first sporting love, bicycle racing. My bike allowed me many opportunities including the joy of travel and adventure. I won a few races which fueled a competitiveness that still drives me today. A short stint living in California immersed me into inline speedskating and onto racing 10k’s and marathons. Then onto Colorado for trail and snowshoe racing! All of this fun resulted in a very real breakdown of my body due to feet and leg injuries. My very personal struggle to rehabilitate and find my former self brought me to the discovery of the footbike!
In my first year of footbiking, I finished 5th overall at the Utah Valley Marathon and completed many other cycling events via my footbike, including the daunting 60 mile course at Viva Bike Vegas. I am going to strive to complete my first 100 mile event soon, followed by the goal of competing in the Footbiking World Championships in August 2012.
My long term vision for the sport is to see organized national and regional teams and clubs in the USA. If I can have a positive impact on just one other human who dreams of being fit again, then my work is complete. Just Kick It!
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 Jeff "1sec" Oakie
I began my cycling and fitness career 35 years ago in my home town of Nevada City, California.
At the 1976 Coors Classic Criterium on Father's Day at the age of 12, I decided that I would enter the race. I was rather disappointed to hear that I would not be able to enter the race on my brand new Huffy Stars and Stripes model with the banana seat.
Athletic Achievements and Dreams: I have spent hours, and hours, and hours, and a few more hours honing my baseball and football skills hoping to pay for college and leap myself into stardom as a professional athlete.
In resolve of my failure, I found a used Bianchi road bike at a garage sale and found the freedom of the individual sport. That bike fed my soul, and became my sole transportation.
I rode that bike around the world along with my most enjoyable career as a dive instructor for Norwegian Cruise Lines. If you are ever going to go on a cruise, bring a bike!
Footbiking Accomplishments: I am currently one of seven Americans to ever compete in the World Championships of Footbiking. Once in 2008, and again in 2012.
Set USA Record in the marathon distance for Men 45 - 49 at the Utah Valley Marathon 2009 and again in 2010.
Jeff Says:
"I believe that I have finally found a human powered machine that can cross all fitness boundaries and give me the smiles that I wore as a 12 year old. My scooter is the gift of a healthier, happier lifestyle, and more time with my family. My personal wheeled mission is to make the world a better place, even if it only lasts and hour."
FootbikeUSA - Just Kick It™
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