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Orland Park Turkey Trot

Friday, November 23, 2012

Verzbicas Runs 24th Annual Turkey Trot, His First Race Since Biking Injury

The sold out race welcomed over 700 participants, including Sandburg running star and Olympic triathlete hopeful Lukas Verzbicas, four months after doctors told him he may never walk again after a serious biking accident.

Over 700 runners took their place on Ravinia Avenue Thursday morning prepared to tackle the 2.5 mile cross country path of Orland Park's annual Turkey Trot. The race is a tradition for many Orland Park families, as well as families from surrounding communities. One participant, rising Olympian hopeful and Sandburg alum Lukas Verzbicas, overcame unimaginable odds to run in his first race since enduring serious spinal injuries in July while biking. "I am thankful to get that competitive feeling again," said Verzbicas. "This is something I was born to do and to be feeling this again after all that has happened, I am really appreciative of that." In about four months since his injury, Verzbicas said he was grateful to just be at the race. "I …

In this Article:

Verzbicas Returns to Racing at Orland Park Turkey Trot and Hundreds Come Out for the 23rd Annual Village Of Orland Park Turkey Trot (photo gallery)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Verzbicas Returns to Racing at Orland Park Turkey Trot

About four months after a bicycle accident nearly ended the record-breaking Sandburg alum’s burgeoning triathlon career, Lukas Verzbicas is back on his way to the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Lukas Verzbicas included the hashtag #thereturn in his latest Twitter entry, when he announced he would run Thursday morning in the Orland Park Turkey Trot. The race will be his first since a serious bicycle accident on July 31st in Colorado Springs left doctors initially questioning whether the Olympic triathlete would ever walk again, let alone compete at an elite level. Verzbicas was on a downhill section of a training exercise with USA Triathlon, when he came upon a sharp turn and braked over a patch of wet sand, according to a Philip Hersh report in the Chicago Tribune. The record-setting Carl Sandburg High School cross country runner, who decided about two months into his freshmen year at the University of Oregon to focus on …

In this Article:

Former Sandburg Cross Country Standout Verzbicas Departs Oregon to Chase Olympic Dream, Verzbicas Recovering After Bike Accident and Surgery, College and the Olympics: Best of Both Worlds for Verzbicas, and 1 more ›

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