CANCER

Those six letters….that single syllable….that one word…..

Cancer might be the scariest sound our ears can register, especially when you’ve heard it before and hoped to never hear it again.

But this story isn’t just about cancer.

This story is about a man named David Johnson. A husband. A father. A fighter…..A 29029 alumni who knows what it means to KEEP CLIMBING.

There are deep lessons taught through suffering; both the suffering we choose and the suffering we’d never in our right minds sign up for.

David’s story is going to unfold over the course of seven 29029 seasons. What begins in 2018 with David will lead us to a story about Joshua, David’s son at Jackson Hole just minutes before 6:00pm on a Saturday in 2024.

It’s going to be hard to leave this episode without feeling more grateful, more focused and more committed. Grab a tissue and let’s go. 

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In 2022, from the outside looking in you might think Vija Williams had it all. A successful real estate career that wasn’t just growing but thriving.  A beautiful family.  Dreams that were coming true.  But what wasn’t true is that narrative.

Vija’s weight had skyrocketed to over 235 pounds. Her health wasn’t what it use to be. It was like she didn’t notice what was happening and maintained a skewed view of who she was and what she could accomplish. She signed up for not one, but two marathons that fall. When she brushed off her training, her coach told her she had an “Upper Limit problem”. 

This concept of an “Upper Limit Problem” comes from a book, Big Leap by Gae Hendrick. It’s the idea that people set internal limits on how much success, happiness, and love they deserve. When you experience something great, like a promotion or a financial windfall, (or a blossoming real estate career) you subconsciously invite negative thoughts to bring yourself back down to a more comfortable level of happiness.

At Vija’s first marathon in Patagonia she made it just over half way before being pulled off the course.  A few months later in New York City and only 100 yards from where her daughter stood cheering for her mom from the sidelines, Vija hid herself and walked off the course.  Something had to change. Vija had to change.  

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Ken Rideout grew up in the inner city of Boston surrounded by drug addicts and criminals.

Today he is a husband, dad of 4, former Wall St. trader and a former opioid addict. Through perseverance and mindset Ken has transformed himself into, the best marathon runner in the world over the age of 50.

Since getting sober in 2010, Ken has won races all over the world, from 5Ks to ultra-marathons. In 2023 he won the Age Group (50-54) at the Marathon World Championships in Chicago, finishing in a blistering 2:29:08.

Also in 2023, Ken competed and won his first ultra-marathon, The Gobi March, a 155-mile, self-supported, 6-day stage race across the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. In 2024 Ken climbed 29029 Whistler.

We couldn’t get enough of his refreshing no-holds-bar mindset and invited him to speak at the inaugural TRAIL Tahoe.

To learn more about Ken Rideout follow him HERE 

What is 29029 TRAIL? Is it like a 29029 mountain event or totally different? 

If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to pause right here and go back to Part 1 of this episode with Abe Abich.  It’s important that you know how we got to TRAIL with these two brothers and their close friend Jay. 

Since an invitation was made by the legendary Thomas Zebley back in 2022 the effect that first mountain experience had on Abe rippled through this crew and now they found themselves at the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe at NorthStar ready to take on 3 mountain marathons in 3 days. 

That’s 80 plus miles not just up, but up and down and around this iconic resort. 

Oh….and Jay invited his wife Sarah this time. 

They were all in for a life-changing experience, once again, led by the infamous Thomas Zebley. 

Watch out because you might just fall in love with a different kind of challenge and magic the 29029 community created in October 2024.     

You’ve probably thrown a small stone into a still pond before.  The small rock breaks the glassy water into ripples that reach out from the rocks entry point seemingly forever if uninterrupted.  This ripple effect in nature is the perfect example of what happens within the community at 29029. 

Thomas Zebley is a 29029 original, a legend on the mountain.  He has climbed and finished 12 mountains since 2018.  But you don’t reach legendary status in this world showing your own strength and endurance.  The legend of Zebley is less about his red hat collection and more about the impact those red hats have had within his circle of influence.  It would be hard to put a number to how many 29029 participant’s journeys began because of an invite from Thomas Zebley.  He’s kind of like Kevin Bacon that way.  If he didn’t talk you into climbing, someone he talked into climbing, talked you into climbing.

The ripple effect.  It’s real! 

This episode isn’t about Thomas Zebley….but it did start with him. This is about Abe Abich.  Abe said YES to Thomas Zebley’s invitation to climb Snowbasin 22.  That climb was the stone thrown into another pond and the ripples started again. 

In 2023 Abe would be joined by his brother Josh and close friend Jay at Whistler.  In 2024 they have plans to complete 3 trail marathons in 3 days, 29029-style. Let’s go back to the original ripple, Snowbasin 22 and let Abe, Josh and Jay tell you their stories.  

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Every episode we start by asking “What’s your Everest?” or your biggest goal or challenge in life.  BUT there is another question that lies beyond the pronouncement of a goal or something you want to accomplish and it’s a bit more complex. Why?

Why do you want to challenge yourself?

Why do you want to sacrifice time and money?

Why is THIS so important? 

Why?

I was scrolling through my instagram feed the other day and came across this post by 29029 alumni, LeAnne Rodriguez. 

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I was struggling with my WHY the other day. 🤍

You know the “why are you climbing again?”🤍

I used to laugh and say it’s my drug. 🤍

But last week I made a promise to myself that I would stop joking to hide the pain. 🤍

Why do I want to be back on that mountain every year? 🤍

Because on that mountain …

-no one cares about my past

-no one is gossiping

-EVERYONE is cheering each other on every step

-your mountain friends will love you FOREVER.

-there’s no snide remarks or jealousy on that mountain. We are all in awe of each other.

-no one really cares what you do for work. They just want to know why you are on the mountain.

-the mountain makes you realize that you are amazing all by yourself

-the mountain stories will be ones you cherish forever

So the next time you wonder why someone is doing something make sure you are also truly wanting to know. 🤍

Find your mountain my friends.

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I had watched LeAnne climb Snowbasin and then Jackson Hole and knew I would see her again in Sun Valley this season.  She always radiated light and hope, but I knew there was something behind her words in this post.  I wanted to know more. I wanted to know Why?  Every mountain has a beginning, so let’s start there……

Find out more about 29029 Everesting events and our incredible COMMUNITY by clicking the links.

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The boxer Mike Tyson once said “Everyone has a plan until you’re punched in the mouth”

This feels like a truth we all understand; that things in this life are not going to unfold the way we want or expect them to.  They never have and they never will. Yet, we go around creating our perfect plans and end up shocked and disappointed when our plans fail. 

On the mountain we know how many laps we need to do before lunch, what we will wear to start and the intervals at which we will change our socks and eat our meals.  We know how long we will sleep and ride the gondola.  We plan for showers and slow downs overnight.  We’ve seen spreadsheets and laminated cards laying out minute-by-minute all 36 hours.  Then the airhorn sounds and we start climbing.

Noah Pines was a 3x alumni trying his hand at the newest mountain in the 29029 fleet - Jackson Hole 2023.  He had 3 hats on his shelf back home and now he wore a black bib on his back.  At 6am on Friday morning he began to work his plan to pull on his 4th red hat.  

No one ever plans to get punched in the mouth……except for if you are MIke Tyson.....Noah sure didn’t until it happened.  

What do you do when nothing goes to plan? 

What happens when you are faced with a choice that you never imagined you would face on the mountain?

What of your goals? 

Your success? 

What if you can’t reach Everest?  

No one likes to talk about it, but we are going to talk about it in this episode.

Sometimes the world feels so big and overwhelming.  There are so many people in so many places with so many opinions, values and path.

......But something happens on the mountains and the trails, on long bike rides and over monotonous hours of endurance training.

There’s something within endurance sport that acts like a binding agent reaching across borders and cultures, filling in the gaps of humanity until we all seem to be a bit more similar…….because aren’t we all simply people, who strive to be the best versions of ourselves?

Hannah Waters first climbed 29029 at Whistler in 2022.  She showed up alone and left with a red hat and 4 new friends.  Those friends met again on the mountain at Jackson Hole in 2023. 

Hannah had flown across the world to Jackson Hole from her home in Saudi Arabia, the flight taking almost as long as it would take her to earn her second red hat. 

Four friends grew to 5 on that mountain and Hannah added another dot to her global map showing how sport connected her no matter where she traveled.  

There is no doubt when you watch Hannah that she is an athlete. Endurance sport is as big a part of her life as her career. She doesn’t train to win.  She isn’t gunning for the top spot (though you will most likely find her there). 

Hannah loves the process of endurance sport. She loves the community.  Sport makes her feel like she’s a part of something no matter where in the world her life has taken her……and it’s taken her on quite a ride! 

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The mountain has a way of checking our soul, of challenging us on multiple levels all at once.  

We met David Allen at Snowbasin this year.  He was strong, fit and capable, a gym owner, former athlete and powerlifter..  He always smiled when we referred to him as “Dr. David Allen” when he would return to the base of the mountain to brand his board.  (Sidenote: David’s not a “doctor” but his name sure made us think of one from a daytime soap opera.)

At the Ascent Board, we see participants multiple times.  At Snowbasin, participants come through the base as many as 13 times in their quest to conquer Everest.  

We didn’t think much of “Dr. David Allen” other than a guy with a great smile going home with a red hat on his head……until Colleen received a DM from him the following Tuesday……David wanted to connect with Coach Derek who had helped him on the mountain.  Colleen asked him how he was feeling and made a “Doctor” joke……..His response took her back….He said……"My body feels fine, I’m a little sore but not any more than a normal workout.  Emotionally I’m completely wrecked.”

David had been invited by a friend to take on what he thought would be the physical challenge of climbing 29,029 feet.  He was shocked to find himself emotionally torn open by the experience and really wasn’t prepared on where to go from there.  

Listen and subscribe for more inspiring content from our 29029 Community. Learn more about 29029 Everest events https://29029everesting.com/https://29029everesting.com/.

Editor's Note: We aren't just talking about climbing 29,029 at one of our 6 - 29029 mountain events (though we are going to do that too)......We are talking about THE REAL MOUNT EVEREST! Enjoy!

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Let’s talk about your dreams and ambitions……I know you have some!  Maybe they are in the form of a bucket list item that you want to check off before you leave this life behind.  Maybe they seem unattainable but for some reason you still can’t get them out of your head. 

What if you actually got off the couch and started making those dreams happen?  Where would you start?  How would you get there?  Would people support you?  What would it feel like to look back and realize you made that dream a reality. 

Grace Lee was tiny and mighty when she showed up to 29029 Stratton in 2021.  She had an easy smile and a giggle and a wide-eyed wonder for the challenge in front of her. 

Little did any of us know that just a year earlier, Grace was sitting on her couch when she decided she was going to climb the Seven highest summits on the seven continents of the world.  She had watched a documentary….she was inspired.

Oh, but Grace isn’t a mountaineer.  She didn’t ever go to the gym or play sports. She disliked the cold, camping and heights.    

Grace is literally working herself from the couch to Everest.  What is it going to take?  Who will support her?  How is she going to make this dream a reality?  You’re about to find out, but watch out Grace’s dreams are contagious…..

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