An expedition for disabled veterans to hike the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim as motivation to aid in their rehabilitation and provide them with a monumental goal that, once achieved, will give them incentive to lead a fulfilling life. This will take place Fall 2016.
This expedition comes after the success of the Kilimanjaro Warrior’s expedition that was completed in February 2014.
Recognizing that sustaining a disabling injury or illness is an emotional roller coaster, it seems appropriate to tie the roller coaster of recovery into the analogy of a rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike. Starting from the North rim is symbolic of how life was before the injury or illness. Then by hiking down into the floor of the canyon, the depths of the realization of the permanent realities of the new disability and the monumental recovery ahead are reached. Finally, climbing out of the canyon on the South rim gives the analogy of rising to meet this life-long challenge, learning to overcome limitations and gaining hope for both yourself and others.
Many times people suffer disabilities through illness or injury and need a goal to assist them in their recovery. For many, recovery is a life-long mission. Oftentimes, once a patient leaves the hospital and the initial physical therapy is complete, they still need to work extremely hard to increase their capabilities in life. This demanding rim-to-rim hike will be an incentive to continue to push and challenge themselves. By the end of the hike, it is our goal that the disabled vets will realize:
- How far they have come
- That they can achieve great milestones if they work hard and persevere
- How they can help others and provide inspiration to both disabled and able-bodied people through their accomplishments
- If you break down the task at hand and take one step at a time, you can have hope and with the glimmer of hope you can move mountains
Please stay tuned for more updates and information. This journey is still in the planning phases, but like the Kilimanjaro Warrior expedition, we will be leaning on our friends, family and community for support to achieve this goal!
Operation Canyon Rising 