Why camp? Why now?

"What's hiking?" A simple question with so much depth that I hadn't previously considered. This was the question asked by a roughly 8 yr old little boy with Skeletal Dysplasia (commonly referred to as "dwarfism") when I visited Camp Korey in June.  The boy became instant besties with my little dog, PeeWee, guiding him around the garden & pastures introducing him to other visitors. As the event wrapped up, I told the boy that PeeWee and I were leaving to go hiking, when the innocent question was posed to me. I gave him the answer of "a walk in the woods" but what silently struck me was the truth of the matter; "hiking is an activity that I am privileged to participate in because my health status allows it."

Here I was at Camp Korey, committed to helping empower young people with physical & medical limitations, forgetting how fortunate I am to do outdoor recreation at my leisure. I mourned this freedom when I was struggling with Lymes as an adult, but even then I knew that with enough determination, my physical limitations could be temporary. The kids at Camp Korey are not experiencing temporary set-backs; these are serious life-altering conditions, for the entirety of their lives. Most people with the desire to go hiking, swimming, zip lining, or horseback riding can do so without a medical team in waiting to check their vitals, change a catheter, load/unload their wheelchairs, or monitor their oxygen intake. Most any parent would want their child to live his or her life fully, to not have their child sit on the sidelines, to not have their child depressingly accept that they don't get to do what other kids get to, and to not have to trade in childhood fun for expensive medical care.

As I hiked that day a hauntingly beautiful song I learned at camp came to my mind, "Barges." The song is about watching ships silently pass by us in the night and dreaming of adventure. The legend, which I don't know if its true, is that it was written by a young girl who is wheelchair bound. The final verse "How I wish I could sail away with you. I would like to sail the ocean blue. But I must sit behind my window Dear as I watch you sail away from here."  There are infinite reasons we often don't get to live out the adventures we dream of: money, time, commitments, physical limitations and lack of privilege to name a few. Childhood is a precious and fleeting time in our lives when we don't have the autonomy to create opportunities for ourselves. But kids are also very aware of what they are missing out on; whether its kids at school reading their "What I did on my summer vacation" essays in the Fall or watching a summer camp comedy on television, kids know. This is why Camp Korey is such an extraordinary organization. By providing a medically sound environment, kids who could not otherwise attend summer camp for medical reasons are finally given the chance to know what their peers are privileged to experience at other outdoor camps. The youth have a variety of medical issues including but not limited to: Autism, Spina Bifida, Skeletal Dysplasia, burn survivors, sickle cell, metabolic and mitochondrial diseases. Camp gives these kids a chance to enjoy outdoor experiences and have fun with other kids who are going through similar life circumstances. Additionally, parents are given the peace of mind that their financial circumstances, already burdened by doctor bills and medical equipment, do not create a limiting factor. Camp Korey is provided at zero cost to the families by the grace of countless generous donors like yourselves.

My Personal Camp Story:
I never would've known the incredibly transformative experience of summer camp if my Jr High English teacher, Dan Mohrbacher, hadn't intervened in the course of my life by arranging scholarships to send my sister and I to CYO summer camp. (CYO is not affiliated with Camp Korey) While I had many privileges in my life, affluency was not one of them, and attending camp like my peers was something I understood was not an option for my life circumstance. My family had the classic dysfunctional side-effects of poverty which left me as a young person depressed and even hopeless at times. While it sounds overly dramatic, summer camp saved my life. During a time in my life when I felt worthless and unlovable, I was swept away on sail boats, cheered on at skit night, ate a smorgasbord of food, danced like no one was watching, and swayed arm in arm around campfires singing songs about living life to its fullest. When I couldn't pass the swim test nobody laughed or judged. We took bets on who could go the longest without showering and stopped caring about the appearances society conditioned us to embrace as teenage girls. And when I failed to follow directions, counselors lovingly helped me build character rather than enabling me or punishing me.  Summer camp gave me skills that set me up for a healthier adulthood. As much as I would try to keep the summer camp high all year, the depressing circumstances of home & school life would eventually return. I started dating a controlling boy who told me he was the only one who would ever love me, and at 15 I believed him. When I returned from camp after my 2nd summer, my renewed glow made my oldest sister cry. She tearfully sobbed "You're back! I mean YOU are back!" Indeed, and empowered enough to ditch my abusive boyfriend.

At Sundown we'd gather at the water to play guitar, sing & share our reflections on the day.

1997 Camp Gallagher All-Girls Quilcene Lodge. Proudly sitting on the driftwood bench we built.

I went to camp for 4 amazing summers. I spent my college summers as a CYO camp counselor trying to pay forward to other young people the precious gift I was given. As a professional I would save my paid time off and spend it mentoring at summer camp rather than take normal adult vacations for several years. I volunteered with the Sierra Club for 3 years taking inner-city middle school kids on outdoor adventures. And this last year I mentored with the Center for Spiritual Living's Coming of Age Program. And yet, I continue to feel I haven't done enough to pay forward the Good.

In January, I was at the Grease Monkey for a routine oil change on my Lyft vehicle. Passing time I read emails and learned that Lyft was tweeking our daily summaries so we would now know which riders left us tips. This simple update brought me joy because in my heart I could now connect my gratitude to the individuals. With nothing much else to do I closed my eyes and reflected on the cycle of gratitude and how wonderful it feels to complete the circle. I started thinking about all that I was grateful for in my life and how many times in my life I have failed to complete that circle of gratitude. When I opened my eyes, I looked to my right where another customer sat. I knew that man, Jeff Lynass. Jeff was my Lodge Leader at camp that 3rd year, 1997 my favorite summer of them all, at age 16. I knew he wouldn't remember me 17 years later, but having just manifested an opportunity to express gratitude to someone who deeply impacted my life, I hesitantly confirmed it was him. I think I looked like I saw a ghost but in all my awkwardness I thanked him and told him that he forever changed my life.

This experience left me thinking... that for all the time I have given as an adult on the front lines mentoring young people, just as Jeff did, I haven't done enough for the gratitudinal debt I have acquired. I have been there holding young people high just as I needed adults to do for me. While every child has unique needs and can benefit from summer camp, I have used my time & talents mostly helping kids with enough privilege to be there in the 1st place. What have I done to create opportunity? What have I done to send kids to camp who otherwise wouldn't get the life changing experience? Without the money to contribute to a scholarship fund, how could I use my passion to open doors for more challenged youth? I sat with this for a month. Then the Development Coordinator from Camp Korey sat down in my Lyft and suggested I climb Mt Rainier to help send truly challenged kids to their summer camp. Six days earlier I had bucket listed climbing Mt. Rainier for other soulful reasons. Ok, Universe, you win again.

So now I am 3 days away from the biggest task of my life, a summit attempt of Mt. Rainier Aug. 18th-20th. I have been conditioning and fundraising for over 5 months. I am proud to say that I have raised over $1,000 and I feel deep gratitude to every person who donated even just $2 at a time. There are countless worthy causes in this world and the need for donors will always exist. This is more than I have raised for any cause ever and it feels amazing to have the power to bring enough people together to be a force for Good.  There is a down side however, in that I am still about $4000 shy of the actual final fundraising goal pledged. Camp Korey has graciously given me until Sept 1st to procure these funds. So I end today's post again for humble requests that 1.) If you see the Good of Camp Korey to give if you can 2.) to spread this blog so that others may see the opportunity to give to this amazing cause and 3.) Pray for me. Hold me in your hearts as I embark on an incredibly strenuous journey and push my body beyond all limitations. Send me energy, strength, endurance, courage and vitality through the Loving Oneness that Connects us All. Aho mitakuye oyasin.

Sally, The Incredible Shrinking Woman! Before & After

If you didn't know.... I used to be a "big girl," "woman of size," or kindly just "curvy." Over the last 18+ months I have completely changed my relationship to my body, health, and exercise.  I love bumping into people who haven't seen me in a while, whether it's been months or even just weeks, good friends or acquaintances. Their reactions are variations on the theme "OMG! You look amazing!" Some co-workers at the old day job who got to watch my entire transformation slowly unfold came to refer to me as "the incredible shrinking woman." It's this progress that encouraged me to take on the challenge of climbing Mt. Rainier for charity when the opportunity presented itself. (Update: Fundraising deadline extended & donations accepted until 9/1/14)

Corduroy slacks bought at my heaviest in Fall 2012

I started 2013 at 187lbs desperately trying to still fit into my size 16 clothes, so I made a New Years Resolution to take back my body & health. My joints ached and I was too fatigued to walk the grocery store aisles or even stand at my kitchen sink long enough to do the dishes. I used to play rec softball for fitness but the creeping pain over the last couple years led to a decline in activity which in turn led to weight gain. My walk had become a waddle as my knees and hips weakened by Chronic Lyme Disease (an autoimmune disorder) struggled to carry my weight. In the fall of 2012 the pain became so prominent that I took to hobbling around with a cane for a few weeks before starting physical therapy. The next natural step was to join the gym and to build upon the little progress I had made. Around the same time I began to see a Naturopathic Lyme Disease Specialist and Shaman Dr. Marty Ross who started me on an intense course of antibiotics to fight the infection that had burrowed its way into my cells and tissues causing a litany of debilitating physical and neurological problems. I was on up to 3 antibiotics at a time along with a handful of other meds for 10 months. Eventually, symptom free, I have been off all meds for 8 months and managing my health through exercise, a low gluten low dairy diet, and spiritual wholeness.

I told my trainers "I don't care about skinny. I want to be strong." Surely, a smaller waistline would come as a by product, but I knew that the real key to my recovery was rebuilding the muscle tone that had been depleted by the Lymes. I began running regularly and lyfting weights. I love to see & feel how my body has changed. My butt is round, not square, round! And no more saddle bags! No more back fat! I had racks, RACKS, of back fat! My arms are almost unfamiliar, like a baby doll whose chubby arms were popped out of the socket & replaced by slender svelte ones. My legs have always been unimpressive but now for the 1st time in my life dare I say my legs are sexy? I find myself flexing in the mirror and I laugh because I used to find this behavior incredibly douchey. Now its so validating to see how new muscles are showing up that I have never seen on my body before.

OK. So here's the before & after pic, same clothes. I almost cropped my head out because I am so embarrassed at how awful I looked.  The day I snapped this shot, I glanced at myself in the mirror and felt so disgusted by what I saw that I knew I had to take a picture to document how I looked/felt at my worst. To date I have lost 50lbs and can fit a size 6. (Thank God for hand-me-downs!) I haven't taken measurements in 2 months, but at that time I had lost 6.25 inches off my waist and 6.5 off my hips.

January 2013

Today July 23rd 2014

Fashion duct tape makes lugging bricks glamorous!! 

In June, Josh (new Lyft-driving BF highlighted in previous post) posed a Spartan sit-up challenge to me, 30 sit-ups daily for 30 days, which I think shaved off some more belly circumference. Josh has been a super helpful & empowering presence in these last few months of training before my climb and I am so grateful he has come into my life when he has. When other people were telling me they didn't approve of me hiking by myself, Josh said "there's an app for that" and introduced me to Bugle which alerts an emergency contact if you don't return  as scheduled. When I needed to up the weight in my training backpack on the cheap, Josh showed me a GORUCK Challenge trick of wrapping up fireplace bricks.  He empowered & motivated me to keep going on our 36 mile 2 day journey around Crater Lake while honoring & respecting my spiritual practice. Josh also has a thing for obstacle courses, so this last weekend together we ran the Warrior Dash, cheering each other on over slippery walls and out of muddy trenches. I almost can't believe how lucky I am to have this amazing person loving me, challenging me, and helping Lyft me to the summit.

All hosed off & sporting victory swag!

(UPDATE: FUNDRAISING DEADLINE EXTENDED PAST THE SUMMIT DATE. IT"S NOT TOO LATE TO DONATE!!) ONLY $4,200 REMAINING!! Please SHARE this blog so that I may reach a maximum potential for donors in my final crunch!! All donations are tax deductible and go to support Camp Korey, a summer camp for kids with serious life altering medical conditions. Every kid deserves to go to camp, especially kids facing challenges to which most kids (even adults) cannot relate. At Camp Korey kids don't have to worry about being different or if an activity is safe for their particular needs; they can just get on with being a kid and having fun. Camp Korey is offered completely free so families facing medical bills have one less cost to worry about while giving their kids a wholly fulfilling childhood. Please help me in reaching my fund raising goal by donating &/or sharing this opportunity to give.

A Free Ride For You and a Brighter Future for Youth

Seattle Pride this year brought an opportunity to expand how I am fund raising by sharing some Lyft Love with Seattle's out and proud community and the allies who support Love in all its forms. I celebrated Pride by passing out Lyft new passenger referral cards at the Seattle Center, valid for a free ride home and paying forward a donation to Camp Korey (a summer camp for kids with life altering illnesses such as Skeletal Dysplasia, Autism, Sickle Cell, Cancer, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, & more) with each referral redeemed.  From now (or since Pride) until my fundraising deadline of August 1st every time a new passenger redeems the referral code: SALLY219 the $10 referral bonus that Lyft provides me as a driver will be donated towards my fundraising campaign.  That's a free ride up to a $25 value for new riders plus another $10 towards a better future for kids who have already faced more struggle than most of us in our lifetimes. An additional way I am using my driver role to fund raise is that the tips passengers leave me go into the fundraising pot as well as any cash donations passengers chose to make in the moment.  For those who already use and love Lyft, tax deductible donations can be made directly to my climb for a cause campaign here:

Under the hot June sun I passed out 1,120 referral cards.  So far 17 have been redeemed ($170!). My heart fills with joy everyday I get a summary from Lyft with another referral bonus. However, the amount left on my campaign is still daunting to say the least. With only 3 weeks of fundraising time, $4,400 is still needed in order to meet my fund raising obligations.  That means I only need to get another 440 people to sign up for Lyft using this code in the next 3 weeks. Please share this blog and invite your friends to try Lyft. It's an easy way to help your friends get home safely and to help a sick child enjoy a brighter life.

If you are unfamiliar with Lyft here is a great video on why America (& you) benefit from Ridesharing.

LYFT IS NOW IN 31 STATES & THIS PROMO CODE MAY BE USED IN ANY OF THE CITIES WHERE LYFT OPERATES! Please spread the Lyft Love across the country!

ARIZONA Phoenix, Tucson
CALIFORNIA Bakersfield, Fresno, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Modesto, Napa and Sonoma County, Orange County, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Silicon Valley, Stockton
COLORADO Colorado Springs, Denver
CONNECTICUT Fairfield County
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington, D.C.
FLORIDA Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa Bay
GEORGIA Atlanta
HAWAII Honolulu
ILLINOIS Chicago
INDIANA Indianapolis
KENTUCKY Lexington, Louisville
MARYLAND Baltimore
MASSACHUSETTS Boston
MICHIGAN Ann Arbor, Detroit
MINNESOTA Minneapolis-St. Paul
MISSOURI Kansas City, St. Louis
NEBRASKA Lincoln, Omaha
NEW JERSEY Northern New Jersey
NEW MEXICO Albuquerque
NEW YORK Brooklyn, Buffalo, Rochester
NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham
OHIO Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo
OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City, Tulsa
PENNSYLVANIA Pittsburgh
RHODE ISLAND Providence
TENNESSEE Memphis, Nashville
TEXAS Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio
UTAH Salt Lake City
VIRGINIA Virginia Beach-Hampton Roads
WASHINGTON Seattle (Including Tacoma!) Spokane
WISCONSIN Madison
In order to redeem you can click on this link here: SALLY219 or you can just download the app onto your smart phone. After you enter your personal information click on the menu button in the upper left corner, click on "payment" and enter the code SALLY219 into the Lyft Credits promo box. Boom! $25 towards your 1st ride. This should get you pretty much anywhere in the city for free. Any amount on a ride beyond the first $25 is charged to the credit card on file.


Or you can just click below and make a tax deductible charitable donation to help send a seriously sick child to summer camp here:

Rock & Roll Lyft My Soul

Yesterday I knocked a half marathon off the bucket list. Not only did I finish the Seattle Rock and Roll Half Marathon, I ran the whole way. I did all 13.1 miles in 2hrs 53min, a whopping 52min faster than I had predicted at the time of registration on Thursday. I had wanted to run the Half but hadn't signed up due to financial obligations. Then on Monday my boss at my daytime job (Or Muggle job as some of my Lyft driver friends would call it) surprised me with a check for unpaid bonuses now that I have given my notice. (I'll be Lyfting the Dream full-time for now until the right opportunity presents itself.) I ran the longest distance of my life on the longest day of the year, a perfect way to spend a Summer Solstice. After registering, I finally bought a good pair of running shoes at Super Jock and Jill in Greenlake to replace my 4+ year old sneakers. My knees are thanking me already.

At the starting line full of antici......pation!

Cuddlestache power!!

Several runners asked about getting a Lyft piggyback ride so of course I had to snag a pic when I saw this sign.

I pushed extra hard to finish strong the last .1 mile and the feeling of finishing was absolutely surreal.

Most of my life I never dreamed or desired to run a half marathon. It seemed so unobtainable. At the end of last summer I started experimenting with running. I had always avidly avoided the treadmill. Elliptical and the stationary recumbent bike is where it was at. I began integrating running into my cardio routine after entering meditation study where I learned about running as a tool for self-transcendence. It was at that time I put a half marathon in the "5 year plan." This "plan" was my way to create some goals amidst living in my sister's basement in the early months of my divorce. Rainier wasn't even on the list, as it was added to the bucket list exactly 6 days before Camp Korey staff rode in my Lyft.  The opportunity to summit Rainier for a cause I care about literally got in my car with them so I knew the time was now. Once I moved into my own apartment in Westlake I began running on the street. It was in April, once I had officially signed up to Fundraise for Camp Korey, (CLICK TO DONATE) that I began running with a weighted camelback, usually 12-14 lbs. Around that time I marveled at my success at running the 2.8 miles around Greenlake without a walking break.

I strongly considered wearing my weighted pack at the Half as a conditioning measure for my main event, summitting Mt. Rainier. I'm glad I didn't though. I've been trying to challenge myself to my thresholds while maintaining a balance; to not confuse punishing myself with challenging myself. Running with weight would've been harder on my knees and may have increased the likelihood of not finishing the race. My boyfriend pointed out that the weighted running in my training would help me to run both further and faster without a pack. He also says I have grit. :)  And now that I have finished a half marathon without any breaks or walking, I can say he was right on both. My overall average pace 13:13 per mile, and during the 1st 10k I averaged 12:10!  I know I couldn't have sustained that far with a weighted pack on. I'm glad I chose to get a baseline result and feel completely amazing rather than a weighted result and feel potentially miserable. Instead I came in 9,539th place out of 12,363 people.

In the morning before the race I ate hard boiled eggs, an avocado, almonds, a banana, and a mini bagel. I'm a spiritual person so I did a little ritual before I left the house too. I smudged myself with sage, then meditated, prayed, and channeled my spirit animals. Then I drank from the lake water I retrieved on my vision quest at Crater Lake last summer. Lastly, in my pocket I put a special piece of amethyst. On my quest that stone lost a chip on the rocks as I pulled myself up reborn out of the Crater's waters. It remains a touchstone. A few totems showed up as they've been doing that a lot lately, but the most notable today was the Tiger Butterfly that flew with me for almost 10 yards along Lake Washington Blvd, then over my head and away. 

After the race was over I walked around for a long time to help cool down my legs. Walking around in the throes of proud and joyous exhaustion with the finishers medal around my neck was surreal; like an out of body experience. I continued to walk around the crowded Seattle Center for an hour or more until I felt normal again. Then walked home where I have been recovering since. First I sat in an ice bath for a while. Later I soaked in the hot tub on the roof top deck during the Solstice sunset listening to the drumming in Fremont. Usually I Lyft on Saturday nights but I was too exhausted to drive and my shin splints too sore to have quick reflexes. Rather than stand cooking for myself, I ordered a gluten free pizza and plus a giant bag of ice to be delivered so I could ice my legs some more. Perfect Genius.

Fundraising is still happening with $4700 left to go before August 1st!!  Please help by consider a tax deductible donation to Camp Korey to give the empowering experience of summer camp to kids with serious life-altering medical conditions. Or please share my blog!

^^^^^ Click ^^^^ to DONATE ^^^^^

If At First You Don't Succeed

    The last month has been full of adventures, along with some humbling moments, but even the ill-fated hikes have brought me reminders that will serve me in my preparation, so nothing is truly lost.  I had attempted Anti-Aircraft Peak a few weekends ago but instead got lost on Cougar Mountain for a couple hours.  I guess that's what happens when you mix an outdated guide book with unmarked trail forks.  I still got in a great hike and a reminder to wear sock liners too but was left with the disappointment of not reaching a destination with such an intriguing name.

The following weekend I made a second (and successful) attempt in the pouring rain.  With heightened wits and a better map I realized that the hike to the peak from the trail head was stupid short, like less than half a mile short. No wonder I got lost!  Desiring a decent hike with a climactic end, PeeWee and I went the long route and did a total of 6 miles in relatively heavy rain.  PeeWee made it .04 miles before quitting and required a lyft in my jacket the rest of the way.

This was a great hike and the rain made it that much better.  The trails were empty of people and the sounds of the rain trickling through the canopy was incredibly peaceful.  I came across some cool finds like a relatively recently burnt-out jeep in the woods and what seems to be an old WWII cement bunker hatch. A heavily soaked tree creaked with a growl in the wind and scared the BeJeebus out of me. I can laugh at myself now because I jumped back and started singing a song like Julie Andrews in a freaking lightning storm. It was also an EXCELLENT reminder that I ought to be carrying my knife when I hike alone. They didn't name it Cougar Mountain for nothing.

I have no idea how this jeep got back here!

WWII Anti-Aircraft bunker! Secret busted!

Since this is endurance training I often had to stop and remind myself to stop enjoying the nature so much and keep my body challenged.  I only had about 14 lbs on my back (plus the 7 lb pooch on front) so I was able to run some. After I had seen all I had come to see and my body was as saturated as it was going to get, I saw I had plenty of daylight, no place to be and energy reserves in my body. I knew I needed to keep going. I must train my body to work beyond pleasure hikes if I want hiking up Mt. Rainier to be pleasurable, or at least not brutally devastatingly painful. So I turned around short of the trail head in search of a place called "Fantastic Erratic." After conquering a snack on top of the enormous glacial boulder, we hiked back up a straight steady climb. Finally feeling a little worn, I questioned pushing myself to run as much as I could for the final steep leg but then I darn near stepped on a cute little snail making its way across the trail; welcomed snail medicine from The Universe to give myself permission to do the slow and steady. It's not supposed to be about pushing my body to exhaustion but rather to build up my body to prevent exhaustion.

Cuddle 'stache PNW style

Incidentally, in the week that followed I became sick with a cold/flu bug I picked up from the kids I work with at my day gig.  I had planned to go backpacking that weekend but rested up instead. It was frustrating to not be able to condition with the weeks lapsing before the climb.  By Sunday I convinced myself that a jaunt up Mt. Si was what the doctor ordered. Wrong. I made it about half way before conceding that I was harming my body more than conditioning it and at the rate I was going could run out of daylight. Of course it didn't help I was also attempting to lug up 4 bricks in my pack with a chest cold. I swear I am a smart person, I'm just darn willful sometimes.

Now that I am feeling much better, I've got a date with Mt. Si this weekend. :)



As always, please consider supporting me in my fundraising efforts to raise $5000 for Camp Korey, a non-profit summer camp for kids with serious life altering medical conditions.  Donations are tax deductible and can be made electronically here or by clicking the huge button below.

Camp Magic

In my early 20s my friends used to poke fun that most of my stories started with "This one time at summer camp," in part a nod to American Pie but more the ridiculous joy that my summer camp memories brought me.  I spent 7 whole or partial summers as a camp counselor (with an unaffiliated camp organization) to help pay forward the positive, empowering, life altering experience that summer camp was for me as a teenager.

Counselors talk about "Camp Magic" as both a whimsical feeling and an experience of controlled chaos. Camp is where the most ridiculous scenarios come true with seeming spontaneity. Whether it be pancakes for dinner or unraveling a Scooby Doo who-done-it mystery, around every corner is a surprise that is thoughtfully orchestrated and creates an air of camp magic. Everything is punctuated by enthusiasm and creativity without crossing into genuine chaos. Dinner may erupt into a full choreographed and costumed musical production. A nature walk to the swamp may turn into mud gushing like Swamp Thing. Canoeing the lake may become a winner-takes-all game of battle boats. Face painting may lead to Capture the Flag and full-on sword fern camouflage. The pouring rain can be a great time to slip'n'slide. Adventures and misadventures alike are character building, foster teamwork, creativity, empowerment, build self-esteem and most of all, sheer joy.
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Summer camp is a place where a kid gets to be a kid, where they can forget about all the troubles that wait for them in the muggle world. Often nobody "knows" the camper's outside life and the child is able to blossom into who-they-really-are, rather than who society tells them they are or ought to be. Nobody knows about that embarrassing time at school that "......." happened or that mean nickname that s/he is relentlessly called on the playground. Each child arrives with a blank slate to a crew of camp counselors who believe and show that child that s/he is the absolute coolest. Kids have more stress in their lives than we give them credit for. They carry the weight of their parents' stress as well as their own, and we live in a world that can be cruel at times.  Most kids who come to camp are able to leave these troubles behind for the most part.

The kids who come to Camp Korey share the growing pains of other kids but are also facing battles that other kids (and even adults) often just can't understand or fully appreciate. These kids live lives that are often dictated by doctor appointments, awkward medical equipment, physical limitations and self-doubt (or doubt imposed by others) about abilities, uncomfortable side-effects of medication, and their families' daunting medical bills. Kids with serious medical issues can feel like they are a burden to their families or peers. Middle school is already characterized by painful self-consciousness, and society has a way of noticing people who are different in a way that reminds a person that they are indeed "different" and it is not kind. Kids with life altering medical conditions cannot hide their wheelchair or oxygen tank or head bald from chemo. At Camp Korey every child has the same life altering affliction. They don't have to spend their time educating people on their condition. They are not seen as defined by their diagnosis. They are just like everyone else and starting their week of magic with a clean slate with camp counselors who believe and show them that they are the absolute coolest. They know that they are safe in a medically supportive environment so they can relax, have fun just being kids, and not feel "different."

I believe with my whole heart that Camp Korey will provide these young people with a strength that will carry them not only into the school year and their awkward teenage years but through-out their entire lives. This is why I am attempting the most difficult, scary & strenuous task of my life, climbing Mt. Rainier, to give this amazing life transforming gift to kids who truly deserve a vacation from their problems.

Please consider donating to Sally's Camp Korey Fundraising page. Sally has committed to raising $5,000 of LOVE before August 2014.

Aum Aparajitaya Nama

  "How strong is strong enough?" is the question I keep asking myself (and Google).  The answers I find are varied but the general consensus seems to be that the more fit a person is the more a person will enjoy the climb. Those who are not well conditioned will suffer utter misery and become deadweight for the entire team.  These are both good motivation for me. I am no masochist who wishes to painfully trudge and fall tragically short of the goal... or fall tragically a long long way down from said goal..  But I also refuse to be the deadweight on that line! A team is tethered and can only move as fast as its slowest person.  I need to hold my own and not hinder the rest.  I'll forgive myself if I do end up being the slowest on the rope but I will do so in knowing that I am demonstrating my most valiant effort.

The 3 areas of conditioning most referenced are:
1. Endurance. 8 to 12 hours at a time of climbing at altitude
2. Strength. The pack will weigh 35-45lbs.
3. Mental. To push on forward in the face of pain & fatigue.

People have much to say about the first 2. Whether it be Google or suggestions made in conversation, people have lots of ideas on how to achieve these fitness goals. (For the record, I welcome all helpful points of view and suggestions on this subject!)  While most all people acknowledge the 3rd, few have practical suggestions on how to achieve the mental discipline. I've heard "You just have to want it bad enough" or "just force yourself to keep pushing forward even through exhaustion and pain." Or as Dori would put it "Just keep swimming. Just keep Swimming." 

Each day I get my cardio. Each day I build my strength. But how does one "condition" the mind?  I began meditating with some regularity almost a year ago. Last summer, as I returned to the grid from my Vision Quest, the 1st voicemail to come through was an invite from the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Center in Ravenna.  Through their Center I learned many helpful techniques on how to bring myself center.  A major theme at Sri Chinmoy is Self-Transcendence, to raise oneself to its greatest potential. This theme is put into practice by a focus on athletic pursuits for the sole purpose of reaching one's personal best yet without any ego; to move beyond our own limits which is all the reward one needs.  It was under their influence that I began to give running a chance. Running and meditating became welcomed activities whereas I once considered both quite boring. (Disclaimer: Sri Chinmoy has rules by which followers must live their lives which wasn't for me in the long-term, though helpful short-term, but this lifestyle makes joining not for most)

One of the most helpful techniques they taught were mantras which are one-line songs that are repeated over and over. I find meditation mantras to have a vibratory effect on my body. There is one mantra that has served me very well. "Aum Aparajitaya Nama" which in Sanskrit means "God, I bow to the One who never accepts defeat." (I sang this a lot through my divorce process.) This mantra has held me in my own power. It burns a fire of fury and love to fight for victory over hardship with all possible determination. When I honor the One inside me who refuses to resign to defeat, I feel almost indignant that I ever considered quitting. No matter what, I am hell bent on surviving and coming out stronger by my own determination, whatever life throws me.

When I exercise, I visualize myself at the top of the mountain. I WANT it and I'll be damned if I'm the One who stops me from doing it. I can and will push on. I will not accept defeat. Aum Aparajitaya Nama will help lyft me to that summit.

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