Mighty is the defining word that we use that encapsulates the children, families, and volunteers in the OAK and CR4TS Family. Each and everyone of us can say, “I Am Mighty!” and together, “We Are Mighty!” So when I was thinking of a name for this adventure I knew I wanted to incorporate the word “Mighty.” As far as the 10,000 goes, well that was very serendipitous. To put it simply, I am a numbers guy. I have had an affinity for numbers since I started my schooling. I guess it comes with having the birthday: 07/11/77, which not only sounds cool, but is mathematically correct when using multiplication. When I was researching which hikes I wanted to do, I compiled a list of 10 hikes around the world that I thought would be great for this journey. Not only are they challenging and beautiful hikes, but they are also in places that I am greatly looking forward to visiting. The serendipitous part of all of this came when I added up all of the miles of hiking that I will be doing on these 10 hikes. To my amazement the total number of miles came out to be exactly 10,000! Now I understand that these numbers will be off by a little, but from the research I have done, and the mileage that most people say these hikes are, the total number of miles for this adventure will be 10,000! So there it is; this journey basically named itself!

 

So what are the hikes that make up the Mighty 10,000? Well here they are in the order I will be taking them on: Appalachian Trail(Eastern US), Torres del Paine O Circuit(Chile), Nakasendo Way(Japan), Camino de Santiago-Frances Way(France, Spain), West Highland Way(Scotland), Continental Divide Trail(Central US), Northern Kilimanjaro Circuit(Tanzania), Te Araroa Trail-South Island(New Zealand), Tour du Mont Blanc(Italy, Switzerland, France), Pacific Crest Trail(Western US). Another very cool aspect of this adventure is that I will be starting in my OG home of New England as I take on a Southbound AT, and I will be finishing 27 months later in my present home of San Diego, as I finish a Southbound PT. 

 

There are many goals for the Mighty 10,000. Of course I’m hoping that my health will allow me to finish all 10,000 miles. But I’m also greatly hoping to spread awareness and raise funding for the quality of life programs that are provided by Oncology and Kids. It would shock most of you to know that there is little to no funding for pediatric cancer quality of life programs. In fact, only 4% of federal funding for all cancers goes toward pediatric cancer, and most of this is allocated to research and the hospitals. And of course the hospitals and research are of utmost importance, but so is quality of life for these children and their families. I have seen firsthand what programs like Camp Reach for the Sky do for these families. These camps provide so much joy, fun, and laughter for everyone involved. They provide a safe space for children to just be kids, make lifelong friends, and leave the cancer stigma at home….even if just for a week. A sense of normalcy and a quality of life is something that every child should have the right to, but that simply isn’t the case when cancer is involved. 

 

The Mighty 10,000 isn’t about one man going on an adventure. It’s about a community of people coming together to support children and families whose lives have been changed by pediatric cancer. I hope that many of you will help by spreading awareness, making a donation, buying some merch, or even coming out and meeting me on the trails. I would absolutely love to meet people and listen to their stories, and maybe even do a little hiking together!