I went for a hard, fast hike on Austin’s Greenbelt this afternoon to break in my boots. During my speedwalk through the woods, I was thinking of the Bobet family, who have all been an inspiring and instrumental part of the Texas 4000 organization.
This family has had a really rough year because:
- …their dad has been fighting colon cancer, which has since metastasized to the liver, since 2009;
- …their 21 year old son—a Texas 4000 rider—passed away from stomach cancer in February 2012;
- …and this week, mom Sandy was diagnosed with lymphoma.
And in the thick of it is their younger son, Andrew, who has had to emotionally deal with it all.
In spite of these hard times, this family has so much strength, courage, and support for the Texas 4000 2012 team.
I ended up reaching out to Sandy last night on Facebook when I saw her status about her diagnosis, and I asked if I’d be able to climb for her and her family. Since she’ll be scheduling appointments at MD Anderson over the next few weeks, I was unsure if she’d have time to reply. But in all honesty, I really didn’t have to hear back; I just wanted her to know I was offering up all the support and positive energy I could.
I was so happy when she responded with the kindest message. She said she was grateful to have me think of her during the climb, wished me good luck, and shared an inspirational quote about adventure. She also noted that her late son had dreamed of summiting Kilimanjaro.
Man, consider me motivated now more than ever. This new piece of knowledge definitely makes me want to reach the top for him, his mom, and his family. I will absolutely, certainly, wholeheartedly, 100% be climbing the 19,341 feet up Kilimanjaro with the Bobet family in mind. When I’m cold at the top of the mountain, tired from the hiking, and sick from the altitude, it will be so incredibly tame compared to the what this family has had to endure in the past year. And even when the climb is done and I have to fly back home to Austin, I will be sending all my good vibes their way.
