The Trans Am Bike Race – Experiencing A Parallel Universe | Ken Simpson | TEDxIdahoFalls

Pushing yourself to do hard things that are beyond what you ordinarily would do reveals the existence of a parallel universe, one in which the participants think, feel, and know in ways that only those with similar experiences understand. Ken Simpson explains that parallel universe in the context of the Trans Am Bike Race that took him from Coast to Coast with a small handful of other cyclists. Ken grew up in Idaho Falls and because of his love for the great outdoors, moved back in 1992 to raise his family here. He is a Certified Public Accountant with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Accounting, and has earned his Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) certification with the AICPA. Ken spent 20 years providing consulting services to Wall Street firms and in 2005, co-founded Onyx Financial Advisors, LLC in Idaho Falls. Ken loves all kinds of adventures and got into long-distance cycling around 2010.

In 2016, Ken competed in the Trans America Bike Race. When asked to describe the experience, Ken said “When you compete in a race where the clock never stops, day or night, for weeks on end until you finish the 4,300 mile route across the U.S., you have to understand that even though the physical challenge will be immense, the mental challenge will be overwhelming.” Ken describes this experience as living in the “Parallel Universe of the Trans Am Bike Race.”

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx