Jillian’s April Post: Trekking Across the Grand Canyon with Project Athena
Deaune’s Story, Part 2

Before we descend from the South Rim, our leader, Robyn, tells our group the goal is to all get out of the Canyon as a team. If one person feels weak while another feels strong, accept help: food, water; a "tow." She describes the tow line adventure racers use: It links one person to another. The idea is to "share the suffering." Synchronize our heart rates. Robyn calls it the "love line."

Deaune describes her experience the first day:

"As I was heading down, people were helping me with everything. If I dropped my hat, they picked it up. Reaching back to unzip my pack, somebody was there. When we stopped to eat, everyone was sharing their food. 'Here have my peanuts, here have this, have that.' I know I was a little concerned about sharing my stuff. What if I ran out?"

"As I am climbing alone, a voice within says, Deaune, you haven't helped anyone today. You haven’t shared anything. There I got about seven miles to ponder how selfish I have been in my life…I've always been afraid of running out. Running out of what? Anything…time, energy, food, money, health. Why does it take 40+ years to figure this out?"

After this moment, Deaune remembers, “I made a point to start helping more. And it felt good!”

But the following day the trek would turn for Deaune and test her to feel differently…

(Part Three to come in May)

The Project Athena Foundation was created for women with life-altering medical conditions to live their adventure and athletic dreams: An initiative to inspire women not only to survive but thrive in their lives. The foundation provides grants to “Athenaship” recipients, such as a breast cancer survivor who had long-dreamed of visiting the Grand Canyon, and was now trekking across it, along with 21 other men and women inspired by Project Athena’s cause.