Submitted Team Environmark/Orthopaedic Specialists pose for a team photo in the mountains of Utah.

Submitted Team Environmark/Orthopaedic Specialists in the San Rafael Desert, with Maynard, the horse assigned to them for the first leg of The Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race.

Team Environmark/Orthopaedic Specialists adventure racing team recently finished 32nd out of 89 teams who competed in the The Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race. The event, held June 25-July 4, covered 500 miles through the desert and mountains of Utah.

Team members Gerry Voelliger of Bettendorf, Iowa, Ron and Sue Stonitsch of Rock Falls, Ill., and Jamey Sanders of Sterling, Ill., overcame extreme fatigue, numb muscles, weight loss and blistered feet to reach the finish line. In the passage below, Voelliger, the team's captain, shares the details about what he calls 'a once in a lifetime adventure.'

We thought getting into The Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race was a long shot -- over 300 teams from around the world were vying for 89 spots.

Once accepted, we had eight months to prepare. Details about the course or its location weren't released until June, but we learned it would include mountain biking, trekking, white water swimming, mountaineering, canyoneering, kayaking, rappelling, ascending and horseback riding.

It was announced in June that the race would take place in and around Moab, Utah, with race headquarters nearby at the Red Cliff Lodge on the Colorado River.

Packing for the race was difficult. We were restricted in what we could bring and 10 days' worth of food had to be carried on our backs. In many cases, we had to make tough choices between necessary gear and food for survival.

Upon arrival in Moab, we went through a series of gear and skill checks. We were given a GPS/satellite phone for communication with race headquarters and to track our movement, allowing friends and family to follow us online.

The race began at 6:30 a.m. June 25. The first leg was a 23-mile horseback ride through the San Rafael Desert. Each team received one horse, which could carry a limit of 250 pounds. Nineteen miles into this leg our horse, Maynard, refused to continue. We contacted race officials, who sent a wrangler to relieve us of the horse two hours later. Thanks to Maynard, we arrived at Transition #1 in 89th place -- dead last.

From there we began a 23-mile desert trek in 100-plus degree heat along trails and sandy roads. We made good time and moved up to 60th place.

After two hours of sleep (on the lids of our bike boxes), we began a 23-mile mountain bike ride through the desert, which led to the Green River. We rode individual boogie boards on the white-water swim section of the race. We exited the river at sundown and slept.

Back to the river, this time for a 35-mile paddle in two-man kayaks.

The next transition would lead to a 27-mile canyoneering section, but first we had to swim against the current to cross the Green River. With 25-pound packs, we began a traverse through two slot canyons, which included a 360-degree rappel off a cliff above the Green River, followed by a 90-foot ascent by rope out of the canyon. We saw lots of wildlife on this leg -- a desert bobcat, ringtail cats, desert bighorn sheep and rattlesnakes. Day 3 began a daily average of less than four hours of sleep per day. Back to the river for a 45-mile paddle. We planned to continue through the night, but our headlamps couldn't penetrate the darkness. We beached our kayaks and slept, oblivious to the mosquitoes that covered us.

From there, we reached Hell Roaring Canyon for additional canyoneering. We learned that race officials had closed this section due to extreme heat and ongoing helicopter rescues. Teams were assessed a 30-hour penalty. We moved on to a two-mile vertical climb carrying our paddling equipment. Once we reached Horse Thief Point transition, we faced a 66-mile mountain bike over steep, rocky and sandy terrain. I was fatigued -- until lightning struck a tree right in front of us. As it burst into flames, I contacted race officials to report the fire.

Heavy rain followed, turning the roads to mud, which clogged our spokes. With 60 miles to go, only one gear on my bike worked.

We made it to Gemini Bridge, to a great 300-foot rappel. A double-tiered arch allowed us to rappel facing each other while our bikes were attached to a separate hauling system.

During the night, we opted for a two-hour nap on a rock, using an aluminum space blanket for warmth.

As we continued along the Poison Spider Mesa Trail, we raced side by side with teams from Brazil, Ireland, Canada and the United States. At the next transition site, we had a surprising trip back to civilization -- Moab! We ate ``real food'' at Denny's and used a pay phone to call home.

From there, we continued biking up Pritchett Canyon. By now, leather bike seats were torturous and our legs were numb.

On Day 7, we began the most grueling section of the race -- mountaineering over 38 miles of the La Sal Mountains -- in 52nd place. In my haste to prepare for the high altitude and cold temperatures, I had forgotten to pack food. Fortunately, I found food along the course discarded by racers who needed to lighten their load.

We were warned of mountain lions and black bears in this section, but saw only a fresh paw print in the mud at a mountain stream.

We climbed to an elevation of 12,330 feet as we reached the summit of Manns Peak and Mt. Waas.

We rested briefly at the transition area, and then began a difficult bushwhack down a steep and rocky slope, followed by a trek through knee-deep icy water.

We arrived at the next transition point at 8 p.m. July 3, knowing that we needed to reach the finish line before the cut-off time at 2 p.m. the next day.

We decided to sleep for two hours before tackling the remainder of the course -- 41 miles of mountain biking and two miles of rafting on the Colorado River.

The biking included an incline as steep as the Brady Street hill on The Bix 7 course, which took three hours to complete.

At 11:20 a.m., we reached the rafts at Rocky Rapids. Emotions were high -- with only two miles to go, we were going to finish the race in time!

When we reached the shore, we were given an American flag and a Canadian Flag for Sue, a native of Ontario. Hand in hand, we ran across the finish line at 12:02 p.m., accomplishing more together than we ever could have on our own.

Editor's note: ESPN2 will broadcast episodes 1-4 of The Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race Oct. 9-12. Episode 5 will be aired on ABC Oct. 14. Check local listings for times.