OM STORIES
Introducing the OM Adventure Scholarship!
The year end gives us time to reflect on the year, and take a big breath to settle the mind and return to a positive state of being; whether we experienced something tragic, enlightening, or downright dull.
Happy New Year!
The year end gives us time to reflect on the year, and take a big breath to settle the mind and return to a positive state of being; whether we experienced something tragic, enlightening, or downright dull.
With the New Year, comes the view of the horizon. It’s time to look forward to a better future and plan to take action.
At OM we look at the New Year as an opportunity to reengage, reignite, and re-imagine the future.
To start, I and the Executive and Advisory Boards will be having a retreat on MLK weekend. We will be reflecting on our accomplishments, examining our current state, and planning for a big future! These are exciting times at OM! And in the spirit of reigniting the spirit, I am excited to introduce a brand new program:
Introducing the Outdoor Mindset Adventure Scholarship
!
The power of the outdoors to lift our spirits, to clear our thoughts and center our state of being, in history, was a gift that only gods could give. For many of us, the time we spend outside and in nature defines our character and how we view the world. We may dream of climbing that special peak, travelling to that amazing place and living that once in a lifetime experience. These experiences bring strangers together and friends closer, with memories and feelings that will be shared for the rest of their lives. It is at these precise moments when you take a deep breath and say, “this is what life is all about”!
Outdoor Mindset thrives on those moments and understands that the impact these extraordinary experiences have on our health and wellbeing is priceless! OM never intends to compete with the gods, but perhaps we can help provide the funding for you and a friend to get closer to experiencing a special peak, an amazing place and a once in a lifetime experience – an item on your bucket list that you have always wanted to complete.
Our goal with the
is to help support OM’s mission to enhance the quality of life of our members, engage our members and encourage our community to connect with one another and get outside and live big!
El Chalten, Patagonia. Put it on your Adventure Scholarship
bucket list!
OM will be awarding at least one Adventure Scholarship per quarter. We will be awarding
at least $500
per Adventure Scholarship! Applications will be accepted starting today, and applicants will be given u
ntil February 12th
, to submit. Applicants must be an OM member, and the Adventure Scholarship must be used for an outdoor activity with at least one other OM member. Keep in mind, anyone can become an OM member and it’s FREE! And most importantly, the Adventure Scholarship awardee must have a great time!!!
Please click here to view the official rules and apply. Good luck!
Don’t forget to Participate, Engage and Promote!
I can’t wait to see you outside and look forward to sharing more exciting news in the coming months!
~Sean
Super Woman Sally
Sally is an old friend and colleague of many of us at Outdoor Mindset. A few years ago, she scared us all senseless when she was in a serious backcountry skiing accident in Jackson, WY. We, along with her 8 billion other friends and admirers, have had the pleasure of rallying around her and watching her come-back from this accident.
Sally is an old friend and colleague of many of us at Outdoor Mindset. A few years ago, she scared us all senseless when she was in a serious backcountry skiing accident in Jackson, WY. We, along with her 8 billion other friends and admirers, have had the pleasure of rallying around her and watching her come-back from this accident.
She is a true inspiration and rock star, and it's an honor to have her be a part of the Outdoor Mindset family.
Raised in Colorado, I started skiing at age three. (But I went in my dad’s backpack in the backcountry at six months old!) My family has a cabin in Leadville, so when I was young, I skied at Ski Cooper. Once my brother and I “graduated” from Ski Cooper, at about age 12, I went over to Copper Mountain. I skied there for most of my younger years, and at age 15, I started the Junior Ski Patrol program. While I was in college, and for a few years after, I was a volunteer patroller, with skills as an EMT.
After college, I worked many ski-related jobs in Boulder, including being the online editor for SKI Magazine. I worked there for a couple years, considering it my “dream job.” I skied in places like Canada, New Zealand and Chile, and trips like these were fully paid for- but I was laid off from that job. That was a Wednesday, and by Friday, I had another offer on the table.
I accepted that job, and within two week, I packed everything I needed in my car, and headed to Jackson, Wyoming. I absolutely loved it there: the PR company I got a job with,
, had major ski industry clients like Arc’teryx, Dynafit and Nordica, so I went skiing for part of the day and it was considered “work.”
Skiing with three of my Jackson friends one Saturday, we rode the tram up at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and hiked to where we wanted to ski. We were going to ski “Once is Enough,” but we had to ski another, narrower run to get there. When we got to the top of our run, we clicked in, and my friend went first. He gave me two thumbs up, telling me it was safe to go. I started downhill, took a few turns, and then my ski fell off. I crashed, and slid downhill for 550 feet. I came to a stop by bashing my head on a rock. I was unconscious, but everything else was fine. My one friend who went first hiked up to me, and my other two friends skied down.
Once I got off the slope (which took a really long time), I was airlifted to a hospital in Idaho Falls, where I was placed in an induced coma. Even though I was only in Jackson for a short time, a lot of friends I had came to visit me. I stayed there for three weeks, and then was okay to fly back home, to Colorado.
I had multiple injuries—a broken back, neck, and ankle, and I had to have back surgery to fix that break. I wore a neck collar for a long time in the hospital so that my neck would heal. And I still have foot problems from the break. I wasn’t eating at that time, so I have a belly scar from where they put in the feeding tube. I lost a ton of weight- 30 pounds- so they gave me a smoothie with stuff that made me gain weight. I remember when I first got to eat by myself, and I forgot how great that was.
A few months after I lived at home, I got to go back to Jackson and thank all the people I knew there. Since the PR company I worked for had some clients in the ski industry, a lot of ski stuff was donated, which gave people another reason to come.
There were a lot of things I had to go through to recover- physical, occupational, and speech therapy. And even though I was 25 (and I turned 26), I lived at home. Living in Colorado Springs wasn’t great, because most of my friends were in Denver or Boulder. But I needed that time to still recover- I wasn’t able to live on my own.
Now that I live in Boulder in a condo that my parents helped me buy, I’m in a much better spot- I can see friends more often, and since I don’t drive, I can take the bus everywhere. Getting back to the life I used to have will never happen, so I struggle with loneliness. My friends from before my accident are finding new jobs, getting promoted, and/or having kids, but I feel like I’m stuck in the same place. I used to have a great job, and was doing really well at it, so this injury has stopped that. I just have to find a new way to gain happiness, beyond my job. I haven’t gotten there yet, but I’m still working on it.
I am so glad that I have come this far, when I was so very close to death during my accident. But the way my friends acted during my accident saved my life, and luckily, worse things didn’t happen with the bones I broke. My life will never be the same as it used to be, but I’m lucky to be alive so I can adapt to the changes.
Post accident, there are a lot of things that are important to me now, that I never used to consider important. Balance is one of them- I still have trouble walking. I don’t ski like I used to, and that was so important to me that even my job revolved around that. Riding bikes is a problem- I never realized how balance plays into that. My parents have kept their tandem, though, so I can still get my biking “fix.”
Yes, things aren’t how they used to be, but I’m learning new ways to do them and find other things that make me happy. I’ve now realized that the sports I used to do were the main source of my happiness. Now that I can’t do them the same way, I’m trying to learn other things that make me happy.
has really shown me that there are more people who struggle with the same things I do, so it’s good to know that I’m not alone. It’s the simple things like having coffee with another
member that matter the most. I find pleasure in the simple things now, because I’ve realized how important they are. Before my accident, I thought bigger things were more important—like traveling, being a bridesmaid in someone’s wedding, or having success at work. Now, it’s the little things that matter the most to me, and Outdoor Mindset helps with that.
Trying to Find the Silver Lining
So I'm not going to lie - when I sat down to put together tonight's blog (which is the second entry from Julie, our OM Member in Sweden who is training for a half marathon while matched up with another OM Member in CO also training for a race) I had a hard time seeing the silver lining in the reality of Julie's latest post. After reading and re-reading her powerful words, I came to the realization that the 'positive, smiley face, encouraging' silver lining of her story (which I always try to find) is that she's doing something about the horrible disease of ALS by raising awareness. And while she supported her mother in her years of ALS, she also did all she could, by finding hope.
The other thing going through my mind as I write this tonight is the importance of Outdoor Mindset in connecting people affected by neurological challenges like ALS - to connect people affected by these tough experiences so that they can gain even more hope, solace, and understanding in what they are going through, or what they have gone through, or what they are about to go through. And while the advice may not always be easy or sugar-coated, there is a power in numbers and in connections for both awareness and for hope.
You can donate to Julie's project here.
Is that a silver lining I see on that cloud?
Here's Julie's second post on her half-marathon training:
I'm out there running and the first thing I do is swallow a team of bugs... then I trip. Honestly. And this was going to be my first big run outside. An hour long run. What a way to start. The woosie in me wanted to forget it this time, turn around and drink a glass of wine outside on our new picnic table with my husband who just sat down to a lovely meal. The motivated me with my Mom's voice said, "don't be a woosie". So, continue I did.
Must. Raise. Awareness.
Can you imagine walking into a Doctor's office not knowing what is wrong with your legs and why they don't seem to be working exactly right? Knowing that something is just a little bit off and then walking out knowing you are on a downhill slide with no cure? No, I can't either. That's why I'm dedicated to raising awareness in order to help find a cure for ALS and put an end to this awful neurological disease.
Mom was diagnosed with ALS early on but we didn't believe it. At all. We kept hope alive. My Mom and Dad saw multiple other doctors and finally found one that did have hope, which was rare. Looking back now it's clear to me that there seems to be two schools of thought when it comes to doctors and ALS.
School of thought #1: This Dr will just diagnose it as they see it, it's matter of fact for them. They are Doctors and their purpose is to tell you what is ailing you. I guess there's nothing wrong with that. I'm sure there are ethical reasons behind a lot of it and sometimes those mega braniac Doctors just don't know how else to go about it. They just tell you the facts, tell you as it is, done.
School of thought #2: This is the Doctor who is, as I like to call them, 'Humane Doctors', at least when it comes to ALS. They see the disease from a mile away but it doesn't benefit the patient if they know what it is and how their body will eventually start to go down a downward spiral - especially if it's early on. So this type of Doctor rules everything else out. They keep searching and testing for different treatment paths for the patient to take. They give you hope.
So we found a nice, wicked smart, humane Doctor that likely knew it was ALS but did try and rule it out anyway. He was cutting edge, he knew his stuff, he had access to info, he was willing to spend time with us and just chat. He gave us hope and that we desperately needed and wanted. And when it's ALS you've got to want someone to convince you it's not.
He's an MS specialist, but it's all in the head, right? Thank you Dr. Sadiq, for your hope, care and compassion.
We all knew deep down what it was. We finally resorted to admitting it and then the process began of letting that info sink in. Mom, you were superhuman. I remember she looked me in the eye as she was taking her electric wheelchair into the elevator and I was going towards the stairs and said, "Are you going to be ok with this?" My response was with as sturdy and strong a response as it could be and an utter lie so she didn't have to worry, "Yes". She entered the elevator and after the doors closed, I broke down in tears until I met her at the bottom of the elevator with a smile again. She was amazing. I put myself in her position now, at least I try mentally. I will forever learn from and admire her strength in all situations and especially her last test, ALS.
Thank you for reading again.
Julie
Going the distance....together.
13.1 miles is a long way to run. I've never tried to do it and am not sure I ever will (please don't challenge me). But with summer in full swing, it turns out that our OM Members are in full swing, as well, and are tackling some huge outdoor adventures together - like running marathons. Some people may think that a personal match made between two people on different sides of the world may be a bit hectic and unorthodox. However, we think when you have something in common as personal and important as being a supporter and caretaker of someone with ALS, it closes the distance and makes it feel like the other person is right there for every step of the next journey together - even if that is training and running a marathon. That's what Julie (in Sweden) and Jan (in Colorado) think, as well. But I'll let Julie fill you in on the rest and give you a bit more background... and stay tuned because there's more to come soon! ~Jill
Here's the full download from Julie:
I am not a runner. I didn't even like to run. So naturally I've signed up for the Stockholm Half Marathon on September 15, 2012. This is my story.
My mother died of ALS in Oct 2005. I was very involved in her life battling ALS, in general, but specifically while she was in her last few years combating the disease with strength and hope. Ever since then I've wanted to do something to help raise awareness and money towards a cure for ALS. First I needed to heal and step away from my personal experience for awhile. I needed to let my mind and body live life again - happily without worry, pain or fear of how my mom is doing that day and what I might face looking into her eyes but still needing to smile and laugh with super human strength. I come from a family rooted with love, good values and a foundation stronger than most. A family that has faced challenges, adversity and euphoric times; who's core has been shook but is strengthened by facing challenges head on and believing in positive energy, living a life that makes a difference. We believe it's how you live life that really matters.
So I fell in love, got married, moved to a few countries, worked, had a few kids and breathed fresh air again. I am proud of my two children and family, in love with my husband and love where life has brought me today - the journey and all. I am 37 years old and from New Jersey but now living in Djursholm, Sweden (a little town outside of Stockholm). As I was emersed on Facebook, I saw a friend's post about this wonderful organization called
. It's an organization who's mantra is: to unite and inspire people affected by neurological challenges through a common passion for the outdoors. It screamed my name and therein began the end of my search of figuring out how to raise awareness for ALS. I emmersed myself in the website and immediately signed up and reached out.
The road ahead... running!
Being that OM's mantra is uniting people affected by neurological challenges; they immediately connected me to another woman, Jan, who lost her Mom to ALS. Together Jan and I will be running in separate races across the globe from each other - she resides in Colorado, I in Sweden- to help raise awareness and funding together towards a cure for ALS. Please join us on
this blog
to follow our journey and get to know us on our mission to make a difference and find a cure for ALS. We will also be raising funds for the ALS Association on their website,
.
Now the best part is going to be following us on our path as we run in our separate races across the world while trying to raise money and awareness for ALS. We will share our emotions as caregivers and daughters of people with ALS. We hope to reach others affected by ALS or any neurological challenge on our blog. Oh, and there will likely a few belly aches and pains as we train and keep it real.
I'm not exactly a natural runner but I figured if my mom can endure a 5 year plus battle with ALS with superhuman strength, head on and with relentless hope then, well, I can run a half marathon. I hope. I thank goodness I have Jan, a natural and professional at my side helping me as she trains for her two races in August and October.
At least the view is nice in Sweden!
So I'm running. I'm running to support my fellow OM member Jan who's in CO running for the same reasons I am - our buddy support system. I'm running for all of you living with ALS, for all of you with a loved one living with ALS, for all of you that have lost the battle to ALS, for all of you that know what ALS is and want to give it the big finger and for all of you that want to take the stairs but have to take the elevator because of ALS. I'm running for you, Dad, who would've gone to the poorhouse (and I think almost did) figuring out how to fight this disease for her with all of the homeopathic, holistic and cutting edge non-insured covered drugs and procedures with the hope of saving your love and soul mate. I'm running this for you Mom - my inspiration on how to fight and live large until the end.
Follow us along as we train. And if you're now intrigued, check out the
to understand all that this wonderful organization does to help people affected by a neurological challenge and why getting outdoors in any shape or form can heal. There are many ways to be involved. Perhaps you may want to join too?
~Julie
Sometimes you just need a giggle!
Life can be stressful… I don’t think anyone would deny that statement. With a dog post-ACL surgery waiting for me at home in a cone (which she hates!), the expenses and stresses of moving to a new town, and what seemed to be a slew of lame things happening to my friends weighing on my mind, I was walking home from work one evening when I passed the Bozeman Center for the Arts and noticed a strategic piece of graffiti that brought a smile to my face. Someone had spray painted a ‘F’ in front of the word ‘Arts’ on the sign outside the building so that the sign read “Bozeman Center of the Farts”. Immature – yes. Vandalism – also true. Funny – without a doubt! I found myself laughing the rest of the way home, and
MAN IT FELT GOOD
. For me, sometimes I just need a good laugh to help turn my mind and my day around, and I know the others on the Board of Directorsfor Outdoor Mindset feel the same way. That is actually one of our main values
we wanted preserve when creating Outdoor Mindset, to incorporate humor in all that what we do. We want to make people laugh and smile, despite any other neurological craziness going on in their lives. Sometimes we can be quirky… would anyone agree with that? I mean have you seen the video we submitted for the
Cultivate Wines Non-Profit video contest, The Give
(Oh yeah, and also, please vote for us here every day from now until June 30th so we can win some moolah to spend on our Members!) I don’t think you could NOT crack a smile when a suited up Kyle Martin comes rolling down the road towards the camera and then almost runs right into the thing (right at the 1:15 mark for anyone who may have missed it. Your welcome, Kyle.)
So please, try to have a giggle. Sometimes you can’t just go out and find it when you need it, so let it find you, too. No matter what’s going on in your day, in your week, or even in your BRAIN, try to find a smile or some laughter somewhere out there because I promise it’s going to make you feel better.
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
- E.E. Cummings (<< See, it's not just me that thinks so... this famous guy backs me up)
Laughing all the way,
Jill
Hold on to your seats!
