KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.
—
A Kansas City racing team's dramatic boat flip that sent them airborne more than 40 feet has gone viral online, but there's more to the story than just the crash.
The team behind the boat has a unique mission: raising money for charity with their racing wins.
Brothers Ryan and Noah Olah of Freedom One Racing in Kansas City have a different approach to boat racing than most competitors.
"Race teams don't give all their winnings away, and they have all these big-name sponsors, we aren't like that," Noah Olah said.
The viral crash happened during a recent boat race in Lake Havasu, Arizona, when their boat hit record-breaking speeds before catching air.
"The GoPro recorded 210 mph," Noah Olah said.
The boat flew, flipped and crashed. Miraculously, everyone involved walked away without serious injuries.
"Thank God they got out, police and divers were there within 20 seconds helping them out," Noah Olah said.
Despite the dramatic crash, the team actually won the race in spectacular fashion.
"We literally landed on the finish line, upside down and backwards, so it was definitely a wild way to win, and everyone at the event couldn't believe that's how it worked out," Ryan Olah said.
The brothers explained that their privately funded boat was designed with a specific purpose beyond just racing.
"The whole reason behind the boat was to set records and gain traction," Ryan Olah said.
Any winnings the team receives go directly to charity.
"To be honest, if we went 280 MPH, we would have never gotten the notoriety we have now," Ryan Olah said. "We raised over $11,000 for the local Kiwanis club in Lake Havasu, and we gave our $7,500 winning to Desert Storm charity."
Since the video went viral, even more donations have come in, which the team says will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"Really, we had a goal of $5,000 and no pun intended, but we really blew that goal out of the water, it was amazing!" Ryan Olah said.
The team hopes to repair their boat and return to competition at the Lake of the Ozarks in August.
"Everyone's in great spirits, we're joking around about it, thankfully they walked away…the catchphrases that are coming out of this deal are amazing, one of them is…sometimes that's how we like to park that thing and that's straight from the drivers," Ryan Olah said.
—
