Aron Kressner

Who, above all, is your greatest sporting inspiration? It used to be my older cousin Jason because he played football and lacrosse in a real uniform and pads for his high school. My older brother told me that was really cool. Then Jason played in college and that was even more cool because college was even closer to the real thing that takes place in the real world. A decade later, I played lacrosse at the same college where Jason played and I quit freshman year because I wanted to do other things. So, my inspiration for sports is two-fold: 1) myself when I was eight and all I wanted was to wear real pads and a real jersey. 2) the same thing that inspires me to do anything in life: curiosity, faith, humor, truth, understanding and whatever it is that wakes me up to write things down at 4 a.m.

What preparation have you employed to prepare for RAAM?
I have undergone extensive sleep deprivation since I discovered girls and partying. That increased when I began to travel and I feel that I am at peak performance now because I still do those other things and I also work a lot. I’ve been unwittingly preparing for RAAM since junior high school.

Ultimate RAAM ‘04 goal?
To keep perspective on the fact that we’ve chosen to do this, we really want to be doing this, I’m seeing much of the country for the first time and we’re part of an experience few people ever get to chance.

Obstacle for reaching this goal?
Our heads. And our ability to control what goes on inside them.

What intimidates you the most about RAAM?
That I might fall so deeply in love with the experience that I consequently lay victim to the notion of one day completing the race as a rider.

Favorite quote that fuels your ambition?
“I think it’s important now to tie care to Quality by pointing out that care and Quality are internal and external aspects of the same thing. A person who sees Quality and feels it as he works is a person who cares. A person who cares about what he sees and does is a person who’s bound to have some characteristics of Quality.”—Robert M. Pirsig, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

“Curly told me if you want to be free, you’ve got to be your own boss. Be good to those you like, do what you think is right. And if they still don’t like you pack it up and walk.”—Jerry Jeff Walker