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Top 10 Moments of 2020

By 29029 Everesting

December 31^st, 2020

10. Back to where it all began

When we postponed 29029 Idaho, our whole team was gutted. While it wasn't possible to come together in person, our team was determined to come together in a meaningful way, while apart. Our first mandate was, this can't be 'just another virtual race.' One of the things that stand 29029 apart is the people. You, our participants, are extraordinary people. And given a choice, many of you decided to keep moving forward, take on an unknown challenge and see what you could accomplish on your terms.

And that included a trip back to where it all began. Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. 29029 CEO Marc Hodulich, our Director of First Impressions, Matt Burrell, and Event Coordinator, Garrick Dawson took on the virtual Idaho event, for themselves. If you caught Season 1 of the 29029 Podcast, you’ll know that Brasstown was the testing ground for whether the concept for 29029 was even possible.

Three years later, step by step, the 29029 team gave an honest effort to complete their own challenge. With newfound respect for every single participant that has joined us on the mountain, we now know what it’s like to take on this challenge. And, we’re certain those fully stocked aid-stations will never be taken for granted again!

9. #SummitSaturday

The end of March was certainly an uncertain time in our history. In the spirit of coming together, #SummitSaturday was born. Every Saturday, for four months, rain or shine, Travis McKenzie hosted an Instagram Live to bring the community together. It quickly developed a cult following with participants joining from around the world. Each week, a challenge was set to reach higher and take on more and more vertical feet.

On a noteworthy edition, Britton Barbee asked about the 29029 community. Travis broke it down into four pillars.

The Participants. 29029 is You vs. You. It’s not a race and the participants taking on the challenge aren’t competing against each other. There’s an overwhelming sense of understanding and support for what each person is going through.⠀
The Volunteers. We have volunteers along the mountain who standby and cheer you on for all 36 hours. They choose to be there because cheering on and supporting the participants and experiencing that journey with them is just as fulfilling as climbing the mountain itself.⠀
The Staff. The 29029 Staff is there to make sure your experience is exactly what you need it to be. We’re here to make sure that you feel as supported as possible to reach your goal.⠀
The Intangibles -- the unpredictable moments on the mountain. The encouraging pat on the shoulder from a stranger that sees you struggling. The inspiring mantra that sticks in your head after hearing a speech from Jesse Itzler or Colin O’Brady or any of the other speakers from the panel. It’s the little unpredictable moments of humanity that show up on the mountain.⠀

When it was all said and done, as a community we reached 2,227,129 ft during #SummitSaturday’s. The equivalent of 77 Everest’s!

8. A Serious Stepping Stone ⁠ ⁠

There’s no doubt - we would have much rathered been together at Sun Valley or Snowbasin and Stratton in 2020. Yet, we know a community built on an immense challenge would find positivity when there wasn’t a lot to be found. ⁠

⁠For most of our participants, the opportunity to use their training, and their grit to test themselves in a virtual setting wasn’t a question. Of course, we would prefer to hear Colleen on the mountain or have Coach Brent philosophizing in person -- but the three virtual events we hosted in 2020 provided an unbelievable stepping stone to what will go down as the greatest family reunion in the history of sports! ⁠

We’ve seen into each other’s homes, learned the reasons why we’re taking on 29029, and supported each other, from afar, through hard times. And who didn’t appreciate the opportunity for a dry run in your own backyard? ⁠

7. Virtual Ascent Boards

There's no greater symbol of our collective progress than the 29029 Ascent Board. It's a special moment that every participant fondly recalls.

The smell of the burning wood, as you brand the board, is a memory to cherish.

During our three virtual events in 2020, your creativity stood out! We saw many iterations to measure your weekend. Digital boards, home-made brands, whiteboards, chalkboards, you found a way.

One thing is for certain; the smell will be worth the anticipation come 2021.

6. Better Together

Through good times and bad.

Through 29029 feet and beyond.

We often see 29029 having an immeasurable impact on our participants’ lives and the lives of those around them. Never is that truer than when people take on the journey together.

There were many instances of friends, family members, and loved ones taking on our virtual challenges as a tandem. We saw Shawn and Jackie find a way to reach Everest in the midst of parenting two kids. Maggie and Brian celebrated their 16th anniversary in the Sawtooth Mountains. Mary and Dennis explored new trails and walked across the entirety of Long Island. Jen and Thomas climbed together, side-by-side. Jen and Noah rallied a group in Atlanta to support and motivate each other as they moved for 20 + hours in multiple virtual events.

So if 2020 is anything to go by, we lay claim to the following statement;

Climb together on a journey to 29029 feet, and stay married. The ultimate couples therapy!

5. We found a way!

We came together — the best way we know how.

On three noteworthy weekends, we hosted virtual events. And as a result, we asked our participants to choose -- 20 hours of movement or reach 29029 feet in their own way. Many answered the call. And took on small hills (many, many times), treadmills, flat ground, stadium stairs, parking garages, and many other inventive ways.

And for 36 hours, as a community, they committed to give their very best effort. For this, is a community of doers.

And no matter the location across the globe. They found a way.

Inside or outside. On a mountain or on city streets.

Through rain, heat, and wind.

We found a way.

4. The Voice of The Mountain. Off the Mountain.

As you saw from our #10 moment from 2020, the mandate for holding a virtual 29029 event was that it couldn’t be ‘just another virtual race.’ So the 29029 team diligently thought about bringing the critical elements of the weekend to our participants, wherever they were. At the top of that list was the support from fellow participants and the energy from Colleen Rue. If you’ve been to a 29029 event, you know what I mean. Colleen is a superstar and the glue that holds the experience together. Her encouragement, knowledge, and ability to personalize her message of support are world-class.

The team decided to utilize technology to bring folks together. A WhatsApp channel and an around the clock zoom room, with special guest facilitators every few hours. Little did we know that these check-ins and messages would be the lifeblood and lifesaver for many participants as they stared down the virtual challenge. And without Colleen facilitating and hosting these sessions of motivation and inspiration, their impact would not have been possible.

So if you’re reading this, head back to your WhatsApp group and send some love to your virtual event family! And let’s all send some thanks to ‘The Voice,’ who got us all through those weekends.

3. Choose to innovate

The core purpose of 29029 is to produce the best endurance experience on the planet, and we are committed to supporting our participants while they’re a part of our community. As you’ve seen, 2020 allowed us to innovate on how virtual events are hosted and the impact they can have.

We also continued to develop new and exciting content, with the launch of the 29029 podcast, chronicling the origin story of 29029 and sharing motivating and inspiring stories from the mountain. We also rolled out a month-long digital challenge, called The Ascent, which allows small businesses and corporations the opportunity to develop a sense of the 29029 community within their workplace. Early in 2021, we will launch an exclusive 29029 apparel line to help take the 29029 lifestyle wherever you go.

While our focus will continue to create life-changing moments on the mountain, the choice to innovate and redesign is always welcome.

2. The Headlines

In a moment of brilliance, during the Virtual Utah event, Coach Brent asked our participants to create a positive headline to capture their experience.

Love, gratitude, and joyful self-expression followed in a moment that will live on in 29029 folklore. Read some impactful headlines below;

Jenna Withowski: Lady from New York claims virtually hiking Mount Everest helped her take her life back after being diagnosed with a debilitating autoimmune disease.

Todd Wertman: California man bites off more than he can chew, but is still chewing.

Jared King: Breaking news: man summits tallest mountain in the world in Montauk while doing the electric slide for the last hour. When asked to comment he simply said “I don’t get tired!!!!!”

Colleen Rue: Breaking News: Sweaty woman found running through the desert rambling to her phone.....claims to be on Zoom Call. Witness heard her say something about waffle s’mores. Authorities cannot confirm the existence of such a decadent treat 😂

Travis McKenzie: Breaking News: Guy with a funny accent is wildly inspired by an amazing community of people taking on incredible challenges, and adapting to uncertainty with grace.

Coach Brent: Coach knows what he’s talking about. Everyone listens to him.

1. The Gift of Community

The mountains were empty this year.

And in a year of having our goals and ambitions set aside, those barren slopes felt even starker. This year there were no ascents. No red bibs. And no red hats. The moments we visualized over and over again while training in the dark, in the cold, when nobody is watching. Those once vivid pictures have faded, for now.

We will be back. Headlamp on. Our gaze directed upwards to the summit. Anticipating our collective journey ahead. We will climb side by side. One step at a time. One breath at a time. Until 29029 becomes visible. No longer will the mountains be empty. The blood, sweat, and tears of our community paint a perfect picture of resilience, sacrifice, and human achievement.

The mountains are empty this year, But our spirit is not.

We take pause, and we wait. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that we can only control what is controllable. In a year that feels like everything has been taken away, there is a gift. The gift of community and of the promise of moments we will share together. Where you will grow stronger as a result of the energy that surrounds you. An energy that permits you to do more than you thought you could. And a renewed belief in the human spirit which has never been on greater display.

If you've ever been on top of Stratton Mountain as the sun goes down on Day 2, or in Utah or Idaho as the afternoon heat fades into a cooling mountain breeze, you'll know what I mean.

There is no greater place to be.

The humanity, compassion, and gratitude for this shared experience create an electricity that cannot be replicated. If we could bottle these emotions, it would be the most potent elixir known to humankind. There is something magical about the 29029 experience. It is life-changing for many. And every journey weaves a unique tale, a tale that lives on the mountain and in our hearts and minds.

So if you listen closely enough, you can hear the stories, as the wind blows over the grass, and in the trees, you hear the whispers of what is possible.

We will climb together again. We will brand the ascent board and stand on the summit. We will celebrate every story, every red bib donned, every finisher hat worn. It will all hold so much more meaning than we ever thought it could.