Attorneys Compete in Sporting Challenges

featuring John A Darrow, John J Kobus Jr

We all have lives outside of our professional worlds. Two firm attorneys take their non-work activities seriously, one recently traveling to Hungary and the other to Colorado to participate in events they enjoy.

John Darrow, a health care and corporate partner, competed in the 2010 International Triathlon Union Sprint Triathlon World Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on September 11.

Darrow represented the United States as part of Team USA, which for triathlon is a team of age group/amateur athletes who compete in the International Triathlon Union’s World Championships. No more than 16 triathletes per age group were invited by USA Triathlon to represent the U.S.

The triathlon also made for an interesting way for John to take in the sights of Budapest. The event began with a swim in Lágymányosi Bay which is connected to the Danube River, continued with a bike ride along the Danube and finished with a run over the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and into the city’s Roosevelt square. The course passed by several Budapest sights that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage. World Heritage sights are places that are deemed to have special cultural or physical significance.

“This was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience,” said John. “It was exciting to meet and compete against athletes from around the world, and inspiring to race wearing the Team USA jersey. The highpoint was seeing my family cheering me on as I neared the finish line.”

John Kobus, a corporate partner, is a dedicated cyclist. This summer he joined a group of riders called the “Bankers Group” in their annual “Vail to Aspen” ride.

John was one of 20 riders who departed from Vail on a Friday morning in August. En route he encountered Battle Mountain Pass (3.5 miles, 8% average grade), Tennessee Pass (5 miles, 5% average grade) and Independence Pass, elevation 12,095 (approach, 10.8 miles, 5% average grade, final climb, 4.5 miles, 9% average grade).

Biking the nearly 100 miles from Vail to Aspen is no easy task, especially when climbing a total elevation of 12,374 feet, well over two miles. Together with three other companions, John made the return trip the following day.

“The best rides are the ones where you think you have bitten off more than you can chew, live through it and then want to do it again,” says John. “Spending more than 13 hours in the saddle over almost 200 miles in 2 days, while certainly a mouthful (especially if you have been to the top of Independence Pass), was definitely one of my best rides.”

John Darrow can be contacted at 312/840-7003 or jdarrow@burkelaw.com. John Kobus can be contacted at 312/840-7093 or jkobus@burkelaw.com