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Show Hilltop HILLTOP TIMES TedX From 1 "Now I can actually start making better progress," he said. "I got to where I was getting 15 miles a day, then 24 miles a day, and I could see the South Pole. I started getting better and better mileage every day." Burton encountered plenty of challenges along his trip. Whiteout conditions had him traveling in circles many times, and miles into his journey, Burton's rear wheel broke. "It would have been really easy at that point to say, 'I'm done," he said. "But I had determined before I left, there was no way I was going to quit. The mental preparation was just as important as the physical." Burton was able to repair the wheel with materials he had on hand and trudge forward, reaching the South Pole in late January So why on earth would he subject himself to elements so severe? In part, Burton said, be- cause he loves a challenge — and the appeal of doing something that has never been done before was too great to pass up. But he also wanted to use the expedition as a way to promote healthful living. Burton says the world is facing an obesity crisis — with most people living a physically easy life compared with even our most recent ancestors. He said food is relatively cheap, labor is relatively easy, and entertainment is becoming less and less physical. Burton said everyone should exercise, but sustaining a program is nearly impossible unless the exercise is enjoyable. For Burton, nothing is more enjoyable than pedaling his bike constantly forward. Burton says that nearly a quarter-century working as a computer programmer left him overweight, out of shape and with a host of health problems. Burton took up mountain biking, which he says saved his life. He opened a bike shop after getting laid off from his computer programmer job and has been focused on getting people on bikes ever ABOVE: Daniel Burton, owner of Epic Biking, speaks about his bicycle trek in January from Antarctica to the South Pole during a TEDx event at The Landing Friday afternoon. ABOVE LEFT: The bicycle Daniel Burton rode from Antarctica to the South Pole. RIGHT: Weber State University physics professor John E. Sohl talks about the sun and its role in earth's human population capacity during the TEDx event. TIMES May 1, 2014 Bottom Line Sunlight reaching Earth = 7.2x10' 8 kJ/day 3.4x10 -6 is the fraction of sunlight we can eat. (7.2x10 18 kJ/day) x 3.4x10 6 = 2.4x10 13 16/day N = (2.4x10 13 kJ/day) / 8,400 kJ/day / TODD CROMAR U.S. Air Force since. He has started the South Pole Epic Legacy Project, a nonprofit charity that aims to get quality bikes into the hands of teenagers. "I used the South Pole to improve my life, and I am using my life to improve the world," he said. The TEDx events are independently organized conferences that take place throughout the HillAFB world and are modeled after the popular Technology, Entertainment, Design conferences that address a wide range of topics within the research and practice of science and culture, often through storytelling. Friday's event at Hill also featured information about Internet filter bubbles, ways to teach children about healthful eating, and a presentation from Weber State Uni- versity physics professor John E. Sohl about the sun and its role in Earth's human population capacity. For more information, visit www.tedx.com and http://epicsouthpole. blogspot.com/. 729 ACS holds change of command ceremony ALEX R. LLOYD/U.S. Air Force Col. Lance Landrum (right), 388th Fighter Wing commander, greets Lt. Col. Stuart Williamson as the new commander of the 729th Air Control Squadron at a reception following the formal change of command ceremony April 15. BY SENIOR AIRMAN ADAM BORGMAN 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Lt. Col. Stuart Williamson assumed command of the 729 Air Control Squadron April 15 in a ceremony here officiated by Col. Alexander Koven, commander of the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Williamson, a Massachusetts native, was previously assigned as the Director of Operations for the 729th ACS. "Lieutenant Colonel Williamson has big shoes to fill as Lt. Col. Darin Humiston relinquishes command," Koven said during the ceremony. "I know you have the skills and the dedication to take this squadron to even greater heights." During his ceremony remarks, Humiston thanked the squadron, nicknamed the "Angry Warriors," for overcom- ing the obstacles that led to the accolades received by the unit throughout his leadership. Humiston said he was proud of the leadership shown throughout the squadron, regardless of rank or position. "What you do matters," Humiston said. "The class that everyone brings to this unit is a direct reflection of an Angry Warrior, and thank you for stepping up." Humiston concluded by ALEX R. LLOYD/U.S. Air Force Col. Alexander Koven, 552nd Air Control Wing commander (left), presents the 729th Air Control Squadron guidon to Lt. Col. Stuart Williamson as part of his assumption of command of the 729th April 15. asking the men and women of the 729th to continue to deliver, continue to innovate, and continue to become more lethal. Williamson credited his wife and family as his backbone, allowing him the opportunity to be where he is today. 5 |