Jan Bear




EcoChallenge 2002
Fiji

Jan is an orthopaedic surgeon born in 1955 who grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is married to Kim and has two daughters Samantha and JJ Jan has been involved in sports since junior high school but over the last 25 years has become interested in endurance sports. This began with several marathons while in medical school and residency then on to multisport events and ultra-endurance races. In the last seven years, he began competing in adventure races. He enjoys training with his wife also an adventure racer and ultra-endurance athlete. Some of his recent accomplishments include; the only consecutive three time Leadville Trail 100 bike and run finisher, with one of these combination of races being completed with Kim and another with his brother Todd. In 1999 he completed both 100 mile Leadville races in the top level under 9 hours on the bike and under 25 hours in the run, he has also earned the coveted 1000 mile belt buckle for 10 time finishers of the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race. Other accomplishments include a 10th place finish in the Solo division of the 2000 24 Hours of Moab Mountain Bike Race, eighteen top 10 age group finishes in the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathon, 3rd place in age group at La Ruta de Los Conquistadores the toughest mountain bike race on the planet in Costa Rica in 2000. As a founding member of Team Santa Fe he has also competed in several adventure races in the last 7 years. Most races are completed with his wife Kim also an avid racer and member of Team Santa Fe. Over the years Jan has competed in The Beast of the East X2, Primal Quest X2, Eco Challenge Canadian Championships, Eco Challenge X2, Balance Bar 24 X4, AdventureXstream X10, and numerous other events. During the last 16 years, he has been practicing orthopaedic surgery initially in private practice but since 1996 as a founding partner of Orthopaedic Associates of Northern New Mexico. He is also an associate orthopaedic medical director at St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe. If that’s not enough he still has a little time left to work out with Samantha and JJ who are involved in basketball, soccer, cross country and swimming.