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May 26, 1999
POSSIBLE BLOOD INFECTION SLOWING AROUND-THE-WORLD ADVENTURER
>> LOCATION: PACIFIC OCEAN
>> DATE: May 26th, 1999
>> SECTION: TARAWA VOYAGE
Pacific Ocean - 26th day at Sea (May 29, 1999) Expedition 360 Expedition's Jason Lewis, who is attempting to become the first person to circumnavigate the world solely by human power, is being slowed by a possible blood infection. Lewis is currently 900 miles from land, and about 1,300 miles from his destination, the Gilbert Islands, pedaling Moksha, his special human-powered boat.
"I'm starting a course of antibiotics," he says. "The fact that the abscesses have been springing up randomly all over my body without a recognizable pattern combined with their foul smell gives weight to the theory that the problem involves internal goings-on as well as external. Added to which two of my middle fingers on my right hand have been becoming increasingly numb over the past week." According to two doctors Lewis has been consulting via his special Iridium satellite telephone, one effect of blood poisoning can be nerve damage.
What gives Lewis the most concern, however, is the infection spreading to the compound fracture sites of his legs. "I would run the likely risk of losing one or both legs without immediate medical attention, something hard to come by 1,000 miles out from land."
It is too early for Lewis to think about abandoning his journey which would be devastating since he has already traveled -- by human power alone -- almost 20,000 miles of the 35,000 mile adventure.
Live media interviews over a special high-tech Iridium satellite telephone can be conducted with Lewis at (011) 8816 310 28995. Or schedule an interview through RoDan Public Relations at (619) 454-1717. In addition, broadcast-quality B-roll tape of Lewis and Moksha is available. Again, contact RoDan Public Relations. Expedition 360 updates can be obtained toll-free at 1-800-943-0114 or on the Internet at www.goals.com.
Expedition 360 goals are 1) to be the first to circumnavigate the globe using only human power (either bicycle, in-line skates, or pedal-powered water craft), and 2) through school presentations, cultural exchange programs, and curriculum development empower children in each country the expedition visits to follow their dreams and connect with the youth of the world. To date, Lewis has completed almost 20,000 miles of the circumnavigation: from the United Kingdom to Hawaii via Portugal, the Atlantic Ocean, the breadth of the United States, and the western Pacific Ocean -- all by human power (either bicycle, in-line skates, or pedal-powered water craft).
>> END
Posted by jason at May 26, 1999 11:33 AM