L to R: Bradford & Eid, near Lock & Dam 24

5/10/03 - Bob and Clark paddle off in a Kruger Canoe, as Verlen Kruger watches

5/13/03, photo by Pete Colas, who paddled with Bob and Clark

5/28/03, at mile marker 0, South of New Orleans

The Mississippi River Challenge for Rett Syndrome And Leukodystrophy was an ultra-endurance race of the ENTIRE Mississippi River (2,348 miles) without any timeouts or breaks, all done to benefit those suffering from two life threatening diseases - Rett Syndrome and all forms of Leukodystrophy.

On May 10, 2003, Clark Eid (Cheshire, CT) and Bob Bradford (Lapeer, MI) began their race against the clock to paddle the mighty Mississippi River in World Record Time in a specially designed Kruger racing canoe. They launched their boat and their epic adventure in the still waters of a northern Minnesotan lake and emerged ten states later on Wednesday, May 28, at 10:51 AM, shattering the previous records set in 1984 and 1989 by over 5 days!

2003 New World Record -Team Hope - 18 days, 4 hours, 51 minutes!

Bob and Clark are motivated by a love of paddling and the spirit of competition. But behind that, it's a deeply personal undertaking for both men. Clark's daughter has Rett syndrome and Bob's family has been affected by Adrenoleukodystrophy, so they're taking on this unique challenge to raise awareness and research funds to combat these two life threatening disease

Families affected by Rett Syndrome or a Leukodystrophy cheer the team onward on May 26, Louisiana