Team 207 Record The Journey
Rachael Ridenour and Team Record The Journey are back for their fourth year at the Rebelle Rally, but don’t be fooled into thinking you have this team all figured out. Last year’s Team Spirit Award co-winner and all around badass is back, but with a new teammate and a new vehicle. Rachael’s teammate this year is Karah Behrend, an Air Force veteran and adaptive athlete. The two met when Rachael saw a video of Karah on social media where she was stuck in the mud in a UTV. “I asked if she was interested in doing more off-roading and it went from there.”
Karah was raised in Badenton, Florida and Guilford, Connecticut and currently resides in Houston. “I want to show anyone, no matter what, can compete in the Rebelle if they are willing to train hard and put their mind towards it,” Karah shared. The retired Senior Airman and Air Force Wounded Warriors Program member spends her free time playing wheelchair rugby, so she isn’t afraid of getting dirty at the Rebelle Rally. Karah is most looking forward to those dark desert skies. “I saw the stars while we were training in Arizona and they were amazing without all the normal light pollution!”
Rachael confesses that she is nervous about her fulltime role as navigator at the Rebelle Rally, a first for her. The secret weapon? Coffee! “If you know me even a little bit you know that I use the military planning system known as “PACE” for my coffee.
P: Primary Coffee will be Cafe Moto made with a Bialetti Moka Espresso pot
A: Alternate Coffee will be a camping French press
C: Contingency Coffee will be coffee in a can (double shots)
E: Emergency Coffee will be instant coffee I mix with hot water”
It is also Team Record The Journey’s first time in the Crossover Class. The two third generation veterans will be competing in the Crossover Class in a Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross that has been outfitted with hand controls for Karah. The first Mitsubishi to compete in the Rebelle Rally, the Eclipse Cross generates power from an innovative 1.5L direct injected turbocharged engine and combines all-wheel-drive performance with active stability control and active yaw control, offering stable and responsive handling in all conditions they expect to encounter at the Rebelle Rally.
