Sponsorship Announcement

BRADYGAMES SPONSORS GAMING AUTHOR FOR ENDURANCE RACING
Strategy Guide Author to Race Famed TransRockies Course

Snoqualmie, Washington, March 5, 2007: Doug Walsh, author of more than 50 official videogame strategy guides, has secured sponsorship from publisher BradyGames for the 2007 endurance mountain bike racing season. Doug will be promoting the industry-leading strategy guide publisher throughout the year as he prepares for an arduous 350-mile mountain bike race through the Canadian Rockies. Through this sponsorship he seeks to increase awareness that playing videogames can compliment a healthy, active lifestyle.

Doug has authored for BradyGames since the spring of 2000 and has recently written strategy guides for hit games like Gears of War, Lost Planet, and Okami to name a few. He is proud to promote BradyGames, but also looks forward to showing that videogame enjoyment and physical fitness are not mutually exclusive pursuits. “I’ve been an avid gamer since the early 1980’s, yet have tried to always maintain a high level of fitness,” says Walsh who earned his way through college on a track & field scholarship. “Videogame addiction is a serious issue and I imagine it can lead to childhood obesity, but it doesn’t have to. I want to show those who demonize videogames that even a ‘professional gamer’ like me who makes his living playing and writing about games can still lead a healthy, active lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.” Doug hopes his BradyGames racing uniform will inspire conversation on this matter.

Doug’s 2007 racing schedule includes a number of events in the Pacific Northwest, including a 24-hour mountain bike race in Spokane, a 200-mile race from Seattle to Portland, and several others. His primary focus this year, however, is the 7-day TransRockies stage race that takes place in the mountains of British Columbia and Alberta. The race, considered one of North America’s toughest mountain bike events, contains over 40,000 feet of elevation gain and will likely require up to ten hours of riding each day. Walsh elaborated, “Between the difficulty of the trail conditions, the fickle weather, and the very real risk of injury, mechanical failure, and grizzly bear encounter, this is sure to be a week I won’t ever forget.”


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Posted Earlier:


I am very excited to announce that I have received sponsorship for my upcoming 2007 racing season from videogame strategy guide publisher BradyGames as well as from local real estate office, Re/Max On the Ridge. I look forward to wearing the colors of these fine businesses while on my bike training and racing throughout the year. And I hope that as readers, friends, and family that you help support these businesses if given the opportunity.

BradyGames
As many of you know, I have been authoring strategy guides for BradyGames since the spring of 2000 and have over 50 books to my credit. I'm obviously quite a bit biased, but I have to say that I'm honestly very proud to write for them not only for the hard work and creativity they put into their guidebooks, but also because of the people behind the scenes. People who aren't afraid to try something new. It's exciting for me as a gamer/athlete to see a videogame-related company take an interest in a fringe sport like endurance mountain bike racing and prove that they are supportive of a healthy lifestyle. The videogame industry take a lot of blame these days for a host of society's ills and one of the things I aim to do this year through my cycling is to provide proof that physical fitness and videogame enjoyment aren't mutually exclusive pursuits. I fully intend to let everyone who will listen know that yes, I am a "professional videogame player" and that yes, I am also a serious cyclist who, by late August, hopes to have completed one of the toughest stage races the continent has to offer. And yes, a videogame company did help make it happen.

Re/Max On the Ridge
A few years ago, when Kristin and I were looking to buy our first house, we were looking at new-construction in the Snoqualmie Ridge development. We knew which model we'd like to have built, and the builder put us in contact with a realtor by the name of Scott Friedman who would represent us. We met with Scott a week later and told him what we were looking for in a home and he promptly took us on a tour of pre-existing homes that fit our needs. We had heard so many horror stories about realtors from friends, that we feel really lucky to have met Scott. He only showed us the houses that matched our needs and wants, was very helpful and knowledgeable about the area, and helped us get a contract signed for the house we wanted in no time at all. Scott has since moved to Snoqualmie Ridge and opened a Re/Max office of his own in the community retail village. I've been recommending him to friends ever since we moved into our home, so you can be sure that this recommendation is an earnest one. If you're looking to buy or sell your house and live near the I-90 corridor east of Bellevue, then definitely give Scott a call.