This April I am setting off on a 2,665 mile hike from Mexico to Canada (on the Pacific Crest Trail) to raise money for Vet Connect. This is a kickstarter for VetConnect.us which will be an online community of Veterans Helping Veterans by providing much needed strategic and emotional support to our wounded vets and their spouses. The purchase of one of these t-shirts (after shipping and taxes) is the equivalent of $0.01 per mile that I will be hiking... I am fully funding my hike, so all money raised goes directly to Vet Connect.
"Unfortunately,
we dropped a titanium screw in your shoulder joint, during surgery, which was
unrecoverable. But don't worry, it won't cause you any problems" -
U.S. Military Doctors. I was 19...
Well after a 5th shoulder surgery (Dec '14) and the recent revelation that only a shoulder replacement would cure my pain level, it was obvious that they were wrong. After over a decade of pain and surgeries, I was tired... I was tired of the pain, tired of inactivity and tired of letting this disability dictate my life. So I decided to turn my love of hiking into a 2,665 mile thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) to set an example that you don't have to let physical ailments stop you from living.
The PCT is a trail that goes from Mexico to Canada as it passes through 25 national forests and 7 national parks. I will be hiking the entire lengths of CA, OR and WA with nothing but a backpack, a tent and a water filter (and food of course). Although less tha 40% of hose hikers attempting the PCT each year actually complete the entire trail, I will be attempting it with a shoulder that is less than complete.
But the reality is that my story, even after I finish my
hike, is still only 1% as inspirational as that of so many other Veterans who
have overcome far worse to achieve so much more. It is true that there are many war stories of
eroism that ave been told, bu there e just as many stories of veterans
overcoming mental and physical injuries once they return home only to find successes that have
gone unheard. Through Vet Connect, it is
my hope to bring these stories to light and to use these stories as inspiration
for other Veterans to restore hope that they can move on past injury.
Not only will www.VetConnect.us be an online source of
inspiration (ala “Chicken Soup for the Soul”) but it will also provide a
community of Veterans Helping Veterans where our Service Members and their families can go for
much needed strategic and emotional support.
With your help, we can bring a positive light to the growing needs of our Veterans by providing hope and inspiration at a time when so many are lost or have simply given up.
For more information, or to follow my PCT thru hike please visit http://www.americanbrumby.wordpress.com/ www.AmericanBrumby.Wordpress.com
Supporters
i wish you the very best in this hike and I will be watching out for regular updates. We all love you dearly so stay safe and make it back home so we can celebrate this amazing feat you will have accomplished. Stay safe!!
your efforts are admirable! Best of luck to you on your hike! We'll be tracking and supporting you the whole way!
Zach is AWESOME!