I am going to officially dub the fourth weekend of June “Warrior’s Weekend.” On this one weekend this year, more than 1,000 people walked 39.3 miles over two days to raise money for the Avon Foundation for breast cancer, more than 3,000 people rode their bikes 150 miles to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and 1,000 or so more were up in Beaver Creek to traverse an 11-mile obstacle course called the Tough Mudder to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.
That’s a lot of people doing very difficult things for very good causes.
I was privileged to be a close observer of the Avon Walk, as my wife did the walk with three of her very friends. And the conditions were brutal: High heat, an altitude of 9,000 feet, absolutely no cloud cover, and a steady wind made for grueling walking. Some volunteers were talking about how many people had to be removed from the course this year. I observed what appeared to be substantial medical interventions on many people at the end of the first day.
As for my wife, by the end of the 26-mile first day she was showing all the classic signs of dehydration. Apparently, two gallons of water and months of preparation were not enough to get her body ready for the conditions. But, in spite of fatigue, cold sweats, muscle cramps, nausea and a headache, she insisted on going the second day. And she made it. The last 13 miles were challenging, but she willed her body through it.
Another friend of mine, Jennifer, took part in the MS 150, and she did great on Day One. Day Two was a different story: Rhe combination of following the first day with the brutal heat and a lifetime of abuses to her knees conspired to keep her from the finish line, though her riding partner did make it all the way. So instead of an MS 150, Jennifer completed an MS 125 (what did you do this weekend?).
And if you’ve never heard of the Tough Mudder, look it up. One of the final obstacles is a field of live electrical wires that the participants “get” to run through. Sounds like fun, huh?
I dub this weekend “Warrior Weekend” because what my wife and what Jennifer and all of the “Mudders” were displaying is a Warrior Spirit. It’s not so much that any of them have any desire to go into combat and battle it out with lethal intent, as that they are willing and able to push themselves beyond the limits of what is normal (or reasonable) in pursuit of a goal for a worthy cause. It’s not that my wife or any of the others were born with heroic strength; it’s that she chooses to act in heroic ways when she needs to.
That’s the true essence of the warrior/hero: It isn’t as much by birth or by nature as it is by choice. There are many people who could have initiated action to prevent Flight 93 from reaching its target, but it was Todd Beamer who chose to act with the now-famous “Let’s roll!”
And so it is altogether fitting that one of the events was dedicated to those who choose to wear the uniform of this country and were gravely injured in that service. Nothing any of this weekend’s participants accomplished compares to what those heroes do every day, but at least some of us civilians get a glimpse of what it takes. The physical toll is awesome; the demands on the spirit are superhuman.
And so Sheryl, Melanie, Christa, Billie, Jennifer and Keith and the thousands of others, thank you for taking up the challenge and showing us a little of what indomitable warrior spirit can do. Hopefully, through your accomplishments, we can learn a greater respect for what our warrior soldiers, Marines, airmen and seamen do.
Or, better yet, maybe we can get a better idea of what we, ourselves, are capable of.
Michael J. Alcorn (mjalcorn@comcast.net) of Arvada is a public school teacher, fitness instructor and father of three.
