WOW! What an experience!

by Taress Meier

The 50 Mile March…WOW! What an experience! I will forever be amazed by the commitment and determination of the walkers (each and every one of them are BAMFs), and the amount of support we received before, during, and after the march.

The “people in yellow” were phenomenal! There was always someone willing to get you water, food, a cool towel, help you with your feet, and/or grab someone else if they weren’t able to do the task themself. The genuine servant’s hearts I experienced and the overall level of execution of the mission were awe inspiring!

The friends and family who followed us along the way and who showed up to support us at the final destination, bringing light and laughter to some really difficult moments, I will forever be thankful for!

My body felt strong the first half. Of course, there were some mild aches and pains, but I felt like I was doing alright. Then the stretch from Camp Ashland to Hy-Vee came, and my foot really started to hurt… I had made it a point not to focus on the miles ahead of me but to just take it step by step; to put one foot in front of the other. At some point, I heard we only had 2 more miles to go. I thought, “I can do 2 more miles,”…and then the 2 miles passed. We were not there yet…and then I hear someone say we had 2.8 more miles to go…OUCH! My foot had hurt with every single step, and now I had 2.8 more miles to go. (I did think about stopping to try to address the issue, but I knew I’d have to run to catch up and that sounded way worse than my current situation!) So, I kept walking. I kept putting one foot in front of the other. The thoughts of, “This is one night, for some this is every night,” and, “I can do hard things!” and, “This is bigger than you. This is not about you, your pain, your suffering. This is about others, bringing awareness and support to others!” Those were the thoughts that kept running through my head…
I remember holding my significant other’s hand and just needing to hold it. Knowing someone was there to stay by my side when I needed it the most meant everything in that moment!!
And then it dawned on me, THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!! Showing up, caring, being there for others when they need it the most!

And then we were there! We had made it through the night and to the next stop, and it was beautiful! The sunrise was spectacular and the flag was flying high! Together, we had made it through!!

I cannot speak highly enough about this mission, the organization, and the people behind it!! You guys are awesome!! Thank you for what you have done and continue to do!!