Lindsay Wojciechowski

Why Not Me

By 29029 Everesting

July 18^th, 2019

Leave the best impression

I think back to my 29029 experience almost daily. It has absolutely redefined what I believe I'm capable of. We all have untapped potential inside of us, but as an overcommitted working mom, there are few opportunities to step outside of the grind, as well as our comfort zone, and find ways to unlock that potential. It's unique opportunities, like 29029, that allow us the chance to discover it.

I believe that when we bring our best self forward in any relationship, it makes that relationship better regardless of who it's with. 29029 was a chance to remind myself of the best person that's within me; the self that I am the proudest of, the self that does the best job, is the most sincere and leaves the best impression.

Striving for balance

I'm a mountain girl through and through. I grew up spending weekends on a cattle ranch outside of Park City, Utah. The mountains of Utah are where I feel most myself. I was very fortunate growing up to have so many hardworking people in a place that fostered a sense of family and community. Spending time outdoors in nature was a big part of my early life, and what partly led to my interest in 29029.

I'm a family nurse practitioner, and I've got a real passion for integrative medicine and for nutrition. I am a big believer that empowering patients and other providers through education is essential. It's what I do best. As a busy working mom and wife of a basketball coach, I am also continually striving for balance for myself and my family. The unique demands on our family; the travel schedule, the highs and the lows of Steve's job, living far from family, requires a lot of effort to keep my head above water and show up as my best self amidst it all.

Without question, a big part of my life is giving to others; my family, my patients, my kids. I think that it partly comes naturally to me, as a healer and someone who likes to empower others. I've grown into some of it as a parent, whether it's natural or not. I've had to grow into the role of a coach's wife, which has been challenging at times. All in all, I am trying to bring stability and balance to our family and our home. It's not often that an opportunity like 29029 comes along and allows me to step away from it all and work towards my own goal.

I have more grit than i thought

My journey to 29029 started at Hell On The Hill in 2017. I was there to support my husband, at one point during the day, Jesse offered me the opportunity to go up and down the hill a few times to get in a good workout. I was pretty intimidated by the athletes that were there but started when everybody else did. 10 laps went by, then 20, and 30 laps, 40, 50. I started feeling pretty confident and about 70 laps in, I looked around and realized that while there were a ton of people way ahead of me, I was keeping up with a few of them. For me, it was an 'aha' moment. I've never considered myself an athlete. The recognition that I may be able to keep up in a group like that was really empowering. It ignited an exciting curiosity about what I could do.

After Hell on the Hill, Jesse mentioned his upcoming event, the very first 29029. Being a mountain girl who likes to hike, I was intrigued. He sold it as a "camping meets endurance-hiking" thing. I couldn't let the idea go. Weeks went by, and I was empowered by this new curiosity that maybe I had more grit than I thought. I was naive, unprepared, and terrified when I signed up, but that fear and excitement brought out the best side of myself as I started my training. I don't think I would have had the courage to sign up without the Hell on the Hill experience, but I'm incredibly thankful that I did.

"Why Not Me"?

Going into the event, I set a goal of finishing six hikes on the first day. The first hike was brutal, so much harder than I had expected. Self-doubt flooded my mind. I kept on going, and after four hikes, it got dark. I went in to change clothes for the 2 remaining night hikes I wanted to do, despite a lot of people going to bed for the night. The mountain looked intimidating. I called my family and broke down. "This is impossible," "I shouldn't be here," "There is no way to finish." It was the most exhausted I have ever felt, and I was flooded with feelings of doubt. I hung up the phone and ran into Jesse, who could probably sense my anxiety. "Don't think about climb number five, or number six, or tomorrow." he said, "Your only job is to do one step at a time. Just chip away, chip by chip." That little mantra got me through the rest of the night. I finished at midnight, feeling very proud, accomplished, and exhausted.

The next day was a 12 hour non-stop grind that blurs together in my memory. I just "chipped" away. A few moments stand out, however. Around climb eight or nine, I remembered an interview that I had recently seen with Sara Blakely, Jesse's wife. The interviewer was inquiring about her success and asked, 'Why you'?. Sara's quick reply was, "Why not me?"

I've been surrounded by so many people that have excelled or were competitive, successful athletes, but suddenly I had this realization like, "Well, why not me? Why can't I redefine what I'm capable of here and now?" That was an empowering moment. The mantra "Why Not Me" kept me going, chip by chip, throughout Saturday.

empowered beyond words

At the end of Saturday, I had completed thirteen climbs. I had only four to do the next day, but at that point, it felt impossible. I came into dinner that night, not knowing many people and found an empty seat. The guy sitting next to me turned to introduce himself but instead, looked me over and said, "You don't look so good." I was breaking out in hives, sweating from the brow, my blood sugar dropping. I was going downhill, fast. All my self-doubt came back. He asked me how many climbs I'd done, and was shocked to realize I'd accomplished so much already. He mentioned that he was an endurance athlete, had completed 8 and knew he wasn't going to finish. Despite that, he said, "If you're at 13, I am making it my mission to guarantee you get to 17, I'm not leaving this mountain until you've finished." With that, I excused myself and went to bed. Sure enough at 5am the next morning, he was there waiting to climb with me. He didn't want me to miss out on the moment that was to come just hours later.

After climbing 14, while the sun rose, something changed. I knew I was going to finish and the pride started to set in. Those last few climbs were some of the best hours of my life. They made every struggle along the way worth it. I cried happy tears up climb number 17, wearing the red rib that symbolized a final ascent. I came to 29029 wanting to see if I had what it took and drove home knowing that I do. Without a doubt, anybody who puts in the time and effort to train for this event can do it. It is a grueling effort, but it's possible for anyone who wants it badly enough. You will leave feeling empowered beyond words with new, unexpected friendships. 29029 redefined what I know I'm capable of, and I don't think it's possible to put a value on that.