We know “fast” can be achieved on land, in water and by air, so the Endangered Species Athletics track event accommodates species with feathers, fins, hooves, paws and toes. These athletes have learned to maintain a steady speed while avoiding obstacles, persisting through challenging conditions and staying camouflaged from predators. This course will be no different. Who will cross the finish line first?Let’s meet the athletes.
Nora Annie Lope, Sonoran Pronghorn, Team Desert
Hometown: Ajo, Arizona
Height: 34 inches (at her shoulder)
Weight: 70 pounds
About Nora: Nora is an endangered Sonoran pronghorn, adapted to survive the extreme heat (up to 120°) of the far southwest corner of Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. She can be hard to spot on the landscape because her tan coat matches the desert sand. She describes herself as low-key, being the smallest and most edgy of the pronghorn. Though she may be tiny, her eyes are big, her windpipe is massive, and her heart is oversized. All these features make her a tough competitor.
Nora is made for speed and is constantly on the move, foraging on whatever is available. During the extreme dry months, she munches on shrubs and cactus fruit, and her four stomachs extract water and nutrients from the desert plants.
When Nora is not browsing or training, she likes to stand around with her herd in valleys or up in the bajadas (slopes) of mountains to cool off and to watch the world from a distance, ready to flare her white rump to alert her herd of dangers.
Track History: Nora was born to outrun the now extinct American cheetah. She took her first steps at 30 minutes, and when predators approached, she could run alongside her mom and twin brother at three weeks. Not to brag, but she is the fastest land mammal in North America. She keeps her heart and lungs in shape through regular trots searching for greener pastures.
Track Race Stats: She can sprint nearly 60 miles per hour and can sustain slower speeds for long periods of time. Nearly nothing can stop her--except fences and roads. Although she could easily jump them, she doesn’t, preferring to crawl under them instead. Because of this, she refuses to enter any hurdling competitions. Could hurdle races be her downfall?
Motto: “Why jump when you can crawl? Why walk when you can run?”
Kieran Smolt, Winter Chinook Salmon, Team River
Hometown: Redding, California
Length: 31 inches
Weight: 18 pounds
About Kieran: As far back as Kieran can trace his lineage, his ancestors have been distance superstars, swimming hundreds of miles of fresh and salt water in a season. As a youngster, Kieran left the cool waters of the Upper Sacramento River for the ocean, but the journey was rough, with strong river currents forcing him downstream. He quickly realized he did not want to be pushed around and vowed that the next time he set fin in the river, he would be a stronger swimmer. During his young adult and adult years, Kieran could be found off of the Pacific Coast following food and water currents as he bulked up. He’s had a few narrow escapes from the mouths of predators, but the rush of survival just motivates him to train more.
Track History: Kieran’s first taste of distance swimming was the intense 300-mile journey from the Upper Sacramento River to the San Francisco Bay. While much of his swim to the ocean was pushed by the rush of the river, Kieran’s training in the ocean has prepared him to make the journey again—this time, the 300 miles goes upstream. Kieran will be too busy swimming to eat, so he’s storing fat and building muscle now while he can. His determination and years of preparation have made Kieran a top distance athlete.
Track Race Stats: Kieran’s been tracking his swims in the ocean for the last year to make sure he’s ready for the long swim. His max swimming speed is 7.2 mph, and he can jump almost 8 feet into the air, an important skill for making it up the river. Besides his athletic skill, Kieran’s greatest talent is his focus. His drive to make it up the river to his place of birth is so strong that nothing will stop him. “This goal is everything to me. If I make it, I can die happy.”
Motto: “I’m ready to leave the ocean behind and prove myself in the ferocious swim up the river. There’s no distance too great, and I won’t stop until I get home.”
Mya Gration, Rufa Red Knot, Team Coast
Hometown: Delaware Bay, Delaware
Height: 10 inches
Weight: 4.2 ounces
About Mya: Mya is a travel fanatic who spreads her wings to go on yearly vacations. She is the size of a robin but has the heart of a hawk. Her favorite food is horseshoe crab eggs, which she enjoys every time she stops over in Delaware Bay. She eats so many that she doubles her weight, powering her long journey to the arctic breeding grounds where food is scarce upon arrival.
While she spends over 6.5 months of the year migrating back and forth between wintering and breeding areas, she always makes time to check out travel brochures of far away places, dreaming of travel beyond the yearly migratory breeding journey.
As a committed traveler, Mya likes to stick to a strict itinerary. Changing climate throws a wrench in her travel plans when warmer weather occurs earlier each year, causing her to travel too early to find a mate some years.
She loves the beach but has had so many close calls with ATVs, unleashed dogs, and absent-minded, frisbee playing humans that she mostly roosts on quiet ocean inlets. Fortunately, one of Mya’s biggest fans is the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection which helps protect and restore beach habitat so this migratory marvel has more space to spread her wings.
Track History: As a precocial bird, Mya had to fend for herself from a young age. She found a mentor in a roseate tern who taught her how to go the distance in her flight. Inspired by her dreams of one day flying to Europe during the time between migration, Mya hopes to become the first rufa red knot to eat at a real French patisserie.
Track Race Stats: With her 20-inch wingspan, Mya flies more than 9,300 miles from south to north every spring, repeating the trip in reverse every autumn. This makes her one of the longest-distance migrants in the animal kingdom. Her record is 1,500 miles non-stop on her way to a beach resort in Mexico.
Motto: “Crab eggs fill my stomach, but adventure fills my soul.”
Slo-Mo, Desert Tortoise, Team Desert
Hometown: Twentynine Palms, California
Length: 6.9 inches
Weight: 8 pounds
About Slo-Mo: Slo was born in the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center’s headstart program. Due to how slowly she grew (one inch per year), she was always the smallest in her class at the school of hard knocks. Although she enjoyed the idea of team sports, she was unable to keep up with the speed of her peers.
It wasn’t until her professor, Aesop, told her the story of the tortoise and the hare that she realized she could be an athlete after all! Becoming a marathon runner would suit her innate talents of endurance, resilience, and resourcefulness (her body is literally a water canteen, able to store a years’ worth of water).
Slo’s only hurdle was the fear of leaving the base boundaries and encountering threats of predation, disease, road mortality, wildfire and fragmented habitat. But after 10 years of training on base (and hardening her shell), Slo finally embraced the Marine’s core value of courage and is ready for competition!
Track History: Because there is only a short window between the long, cold winters and blazing hot summers to get resources above ground, Slo mapped out key items she’d need while training, including the base gym for workout tips, burrows to rest and hydrating cacti. She has recorded hundreds of miles on her pedometer.
Track Race Stats: While Slo has been training for years, this will be her first official race. Thankfully, training on a Marine Corps base prepared her to stay focused on the mission, be strategic with her approach and compete at her full potential.
Motto: "Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t forget to stop and smell (and eat) the roses."
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