29029 Utah #2 Recap

Finding Purpose Again

By 29029 Everesting

August 31^st, 2021

Reflect

The dust has settled and tired bodies are catching their flights home. After a soul-changing experience on the mountain at Utah #2, it’s time to reflect.

You all started with one common goal. Attacking the mountain. Getting to the top. Pushing through the pain and fatigue. Emptying the tank. Ascending the difficult slopes, time and time again.

You Came Here With a Goal

Inspiring people are what make this event what it is. You are what make this event what it is.

You came here with a goal. Maybe your goal was to reach Everest. Maybe your goal was to do one more than last time. Maybe you achieved your goal. Maybe you did not. But you emptied the tank. You left it all out there. And that’s what matters.

Everyone Has a Why

Every single person who toes this line has their own individual why. Why do you want to put yourself through this much of a challenge - this much pain and this much struggle? Why do you want to get to the mountaintop so much?

Once you get there, it’s life-changing.

But to get there takes work – a lot of work. To do it, you need a bulletproof why – something deep down you can use to fuel yourself upward.

Finding Purpose Again

Karin hit the slopes of Utah with a picture of her husband on the back of her pack. After a long battle with ALS, he had passed in January. This was to honor her husband.

29029 was a way for Karin to find purpose again. The training, the community, and the need to conquer 29029 vertical feet gave her something to focus on during the grieving process.

Like her late husband, Karin is a battler. She took on that mountain, step for step, most of the time with a smile on her face. Karin reached Everest. She got the Red Hat. And she inspired us along the way.

Karin is part of the 29029 tribe.

Honoring Others

Alexis first attempted 29029 three years ago, but had fallen short. She hadn’t achieved her goal.

She came back to Utah prepared for redemption.

“I felt like my why wasn’t strong enough last time,” she explained. “So this time, I’m doing it in honor of seven veterans and first responders who have impacted my life.”

Her hiking poles were adorned with seven photographs. Seven people who have served in the noblest of ways. Seven people who have touched Alexis’ life. Seven American Flags. Seven reasons why.

Alexis emptied the tank in honor of those seven heroes, summiting the mountain twelve times. She emptied her tank, leaving everything on the mountain, in honor of others.

Alexis is part of the 29029 tribe.

Maybe I'm Crazy?

When asked about why he was here at 29029, Amit, laughed and said because maybe I’m crazy.

“I’ve never done anything like this. Not even a shorter event.”

Amit, from Mumbai, and attending grad school in LA, had just saved up enough money for a car when he found out about 29029. He took that money and invested in himself instead, registering for 29029 and booking his travel to the event.

“When you do hard things, you learn about yourself. I wanted to prove I could do something this hard and this crazy.”

Amit stretched his limits, and after 35 hours and 45 minutes, he summited the mountain for the twelfth time. Shortly after he crossed the line, he told me “12 is my Everest. I did it.”

Amit is crazy – but the right kind of crazy. He’s the kind of crazy that says I’m going to spend the next 36 hours climbing a mountain. And after 35 hours and 45 minutes, Amit hit his goal: 12 times up to the summit, cementing himself as part of the 29029 tribe.

Overcoming

Teri is no stranger to endurance events. She used to race Ironman events, until she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer. But like a true warrior, Teri fought back. Teri is a survivor.

Nearing the end of her treatment, Teri even went back to race another Ironman, while still finishing up chemotherapy! She put an exclamation mark on her return. She wasn’t going to be defeated.

Now 60 years old, Teri is here to prove to others they too can overcome cancer. She is on the mountain to raise awareness. Her motivation: taking all kinds of survivors up the mountain with her in spirit.

Teri reached Everest - she put on the Red Hat, proving to warriors everywhere that they are capable of so much more than they think. Proving they can overcome too.

Teri is part of the 29029 tribe.

Supporting Others

Adam is a true inspiration. He first attempted 29029 in Vermont in 2019 to prove to himself and his daughter that doing hard things is important. He battled on the slopes for an ascent that took him 6 hours. And he vowed to return – vowed to improve.

He was on a journey, and 29029 was a part of it. After 2.5 hours in Utah - on a course longer than Vermont - Adam finished his first summit. He had shaved over 210 minutes off his lap-time from 2019!

As he made his way back to the gondola, something popped in his foot. Plantar fasciitis prevented Adam from starting another lap.

Instead of getting down on himself, Adam focused on the accomplishment. He completed a summit over twice as fast as in 2019.

He said “I’ll be back. But now, my job is to support the others on this mountain.”

And he did. Adam spent the next 33 hours cheering on others, offering support, riding the gondola with them, and more. He embodied the spirit of community. Adam was already part of the 29029 tribe, and he lent his experience to help others.

The Experience Doesn't End After 29029 Feet

After you’ve conquered the mountain – after you’ve done something harder than you ever could have imagined – it isn’t over.

The day after your first 29029 is the first day of the rest of your life. What you do now is up to you. And whatever that is, you can now go forward with the confidence of knowing you have more in the tank.

You can achieve more than you think possible. Take these experiences from the mountain and use them to mold your life for the better. This is the true power of 29029. Continue the momentum, and whether it’s another 29029, or something else, keep doing extraordinary things.