Susan Porter

My Next Mountain

By 29029 Everesting

December 9^th, 2019

I have a mountain to climb

I got my regular mammogram in August, as I do every year. I never expected anything to be there. There's no history of breast cancer in my family. This time, I got a call. They said, "we need to have you come back in for some further tests. Don't worry, it's probably nothing."

This time, however, it turned out to be a little something.

"You have cancer..."

It's a shock to hear those words.

Suddenly, your whole life is doctors and oncologists and tests.

My lumpectomy was scheduled for October 15, 2019. I immediately burst into tears. The natural reaction of the staff was to console me. "It's ok, people beat cancer all the time." I said, "no, I have a mountain to climb." 29029 Vermont started on October 17. I knew in my heart I was going to beat cancer, that was never a question, but I had a commitment to my brother that I needed to keep. I had a mountain that I needed to climb.

I Signed us up

Signing up for 29029 is one of the few impulse decisions I've made in my life. I am usually such a planner, but there was something that drew me to this event. I heard Jesse Itzler mention a Misogi, which equates to putting something significant on your calendar each year. I had thought it would be a great idea to do something with my brother. We are close, but due to living apart and having our own families, we haven't done anything together since we were kids.

I signed us up.

I didn't think about the logistics. I didn't think about the weather, I didn't know about the tents, I just went for it. I called my brother and said, "I signed us up for this thing in October, you do this stuff all the time, you'll be fine."

It was out of character, but I knew it was the right thing to do. My brother is an ultra-endurance athlete and wears that title as a badge of honor. He's finished sixteen Ironman's and tries to find a new race, in a new country, every other year. I often ask him why he does what he does, and his reply is always the same. "I do it to have a goal. To have something on my calendar that gets me out of bed in the morning. Something to guide my choices and to give me a sense of accomplishment when I see it through." That stuck with me and it was the perfect reason to put 29029 on our schedule.

Let's just start!

I was able to reschedule my lumpectomy to September 26, 2019. That was step one. I had three weeks to heal from that surgery before 29029, I then planned to take on the rest of my treatment once I got home. I shifted my goals for what I thought I could achieve in Vermont.

I planned to do one ascent.

I stood on the start line with my brother and got a little misty-eyed. I was present to the experience and was thinking to myself. 'Let's just start.' I put my head down, and took off. We did the first one together. My poor brother was so cold, he would go ahead and then wait for me to catch up. We went to the lodge after the first lap to warm up and get some food. It was special to hear my brother plan how he was going to finish his 17 ascents to get to 29,029 feet. He was in the moment and present to his own experience, while still supporting and encouraging me throughout mine.

Once warm, he continued on up the mountain. As did I. After completing one climb, I knew what it took. I decided to do one more and reassess. Still, I wasn't in a rush to get anywhere, and I stayed open to whatever came my way.

I met so many incredible people throughout the weekend, because I was open to it. It was like time stood still. I had interactions that will stay with me forever. For instance, Chadd Wright came up to me and gave me advice on how to use my hiking poles. I said, "I loved listening to your talk last night." He said "thanks" and then went off into the distance like a mythical creature. Then I spent 15 minutes with Charlie Engle. He told me an amazing story and showed me his tattoo that says 'No Big Deal' - which was precisely what I needed to hear at the time. Then on my third and fourth laps, I climbed with Miriam. I absolutely adore her. She never stopped!

I look back and realize that everybody who came into my world was supposed to come into it. I wasn't looking to hike with anyone in particular. I let it happen, and these magical people kept coming along at exactly the right time. I would bet that everybody in Vermont had an experience like mine; the people who joined them at any point were the people that were meant to join them.

An amazing place to be

29029 is the most positive experience I've ever been through.

The energy is unbelievable.

It carries you up the mountain.

Of course, everybody is on their own journey. But the collective goals of the 200 on that mountain creates one big journey, and it lifts everybody up. It's a community of people who may have had success in their lives. They may have achieved amazing things as athletes, or in their business or personal lives. Yet, everyone is on a level playing field. No one is better than anyone else.

The mountain doesn't care what you've done. We all take the same trip over and over and over again. There's no getting around it. You're treading in the footsteps of the incredible people around you. And that shared energy and determination leads to shared triumph. It's an amazing place to be.

We're doing this together

I finished my sixth climb a little before my brother completed his sixteenth. Mentally I thought I was finished. I planned to capture him getting his Red Bib before his final ascent and then ride up in the Gondola to wait for him at the top. Over lunch, he said, "No way, you signed me up for this thing. I didn't even know what I was signed up for. We're doing this final lap together." He was patient with me, and we came to the summit of the mountain to complete our 29029 experience together.

One at a time

29029 helped me frame my next chapter. It gave me confidence to go home and take on my cancer treatment. I left thinking, 'If I can take on Stratton Mountain, I can take on this next mountain.' Just like I was able to chunk out each climb, I can chunk out my treatment. It's 4 hard chemotherapy sessions, followed by 12 easier chemos, and then 18 rounds of radiation. And I'm taking them one at a time, and then I'll move on to the next thing. Cancer is not the way I'm going out of this world, which makes my husband very happy.

Before cancer, and before 29029, I had started on a journey of positivity, and I am grateful for that. I now see everything as a lesson. So far, cancer has definitely been a lesson, I am approaching it with ease and grace, knowing there is no gray area for me anymore. Cancer has given me a laser-focus on what's important. I no longer have time or energy for negativity. And, I am not sitting around feeling sorry for myself. Positivity and gratitude are the only options for me. When I live my life in that spirit, I know it will come back to me ten times over.

you will be transformed

My advice for anyone reading this who is still on the fence about living their life with purpose. Or whether 29029 is for them?

I say, What are you waiting for? You never know what's in store for you, so why are you holding back? You have one life. Sign up. Put something big on your calendar. Once it's on your schedule, you won't back down.

Just sign up!

You will meet amazing people. You will be transformed. You will be better because of this experience.

Personally, I will be in Idaho in 2021, I will get my Red Bib and my Red Finisher's hat. And I know I'll walk away with more amazing memories and connections. It's on my calendar, see you there.