Adventure Awaits...I Think!
Six months ago, while visiting the Gulf Shores, Alabama area for work, I ran into Georgeen, a sweet new friend I’d met a few months earlier when she enrolled in an online course I teach. During our conversation she told me about an effort she’s become a part of for the Alabama chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. It’s called The Trailblaze Challenge.
Sean Dietrich of Sean of the South said of the Alabama event, “Tomorrow morning, hours before sunup, 268 clinically deranged Alabamians will be awoken by an alarm, whereupon we will all be taken to the Pinhoti Trail, riding in Soviet style buses, and dropped off naked, in the remote darkness of the mountains, just outside Talladega, whereupon we will hike until we are either dead or sincerely wish we were. We are doing this hike for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alabama. This organization grants the wishes of children with critical illnesses. This Alabamian hike raises more money than all the other Make-A-Wish organizational hikes in the nation.”
I don’t live in Alabama, and God help everybody if I EVER hike naked. (he was joking, of course) But the more I heard and read, the more I wanted to get involved.
Crazy? Maybe…but I’ve learned a lot of tough lessons this year, and one of them includes the phrase “choose your hard” — more on that in a minute.
With Georgeen’s help and a minor bit of research, I found the only South Carolina Make-a-Wish chapter right here in Greenville, South Carolina where I live. SO…I recruited my 24-year-old daughter Anna — definitely my adventure partner — and we officially committed ourselves to a similar version of the aformentioned torture.
Here are the details, in a nutshell:
For the next 17 weeks, a couple hundred individuals (including Anna and myself) will go through some pretty intense training (via daily personal workouts and every other weekend training hikes) in preparation for a 28.3 mile hike that follows the gorgeous Foothills Trail across North and South Carolina. We’ll begin in Georgia in the wee hours on September 30th.
You may be wondering why on earth I’d choose to torture myself this way — and, joking aside, it’s most definitely not going to be an easy task. Unfortunately for me, I’m currently as out of shape as I’ve ever been. I’ve tried to motivate myself to get back into the gym and eat right, and couldn't get out of my own way long enough to follow through consistently. I knew I needed something else to focus on — a different, greater purpose. Enter The Trailblaze Challenge.
Earlier this year, my husband John suffered what doctors called a “mild” stroke. Mild can mean a lot of things, but what that doesn’t mean is no damage. It simply means he suffered minimal damage, thank God — in his case, to his left side. He’s been in recovery now nearly three months and made amazing progress. He’s adopted the “choose your hard” mantra as he talks about his experience, and it’s resonated with me. I can either choose my hard now, and train to climb this mountain while fundraising to do something incredible for critically ill children and their families…or I can continue being a couch potato, neglecting my health, and face another kind of hard long term.
So, together, Anna and I are going to do this on behalf of our entire family!
Here’s the thing, though. Just like we’d have no idea what to do to prepare for an almost 30 mile hike without some assistance, we cannot raise the $5,000 we need as a team without your help.
If you’d like to come alongside us in this effort, we’d be SO incredibly grateful! Here’s how:
First, please PRAY FOR US and follow our journey right here on Substack. We’ll be posting as often as possible throughout the process! (because we’d LOVE to recruit more people to join us next year - here or in your own state!)
Second, financially support the Make-A-Wish Foundation on our behalf. ALL funds go directly to Make-A-Wish to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses. It's truly powerful what a wish can do for a child — parents, health professionals, and volunteers agree that the encouragement of a wish empowers a child to fight harder against their illnesses.
You can donate one of three ways:
If you own a business (or work for one) who wishes to sponsor us, follow this link. (please feel free to email me at nantz.tami@gmail.com with any questions or if you need a w9 form)
Donate any amount directly to Make-A-Wish on my behalf.
Donate any amount directly to Make-A-Wish on behalf of the Nantz Team.
Training has already started with a lot of walking and some weight training. Dietary changes will soon follow…our first training hike is 2 weeks away.
We’d love for you to join us!