OM Member's Dream Becomes Reality

New OM Member, Marie Freed, lives in Minnesota and was diagnosed with MS in 2008.  Despite the challenges, she and her husband have long dreamed of visiting the Grand Canyon.  With the support of Outdoor Mindset and a 1-to-1 OM Connection, Marie and her husband were inspired to go on an adventure of a lifetime!  Thank you, Marie and John for sharing your story and inspiring others!

Here it is early September and after a lot of should we or shouldn’t we, together we voted for should!  Grand Canyon, here we come. That said, we were warned that making hotel reservations on such short notice would be a challenge, especially for novice travelers like us.  Planning details, making decisions and keeping in mind the unpredictability of MS was overwhelming resulting in John taking the lead, breaking each step down into manageable parts that I could participate in, easing the planning process stress I experience. With his patient persistence, IPhone, and internet savvy, our 8 day Grand Canyon vacation was becoming a reality.

Why the Grand Canyon and what took us so long to get there?  Well, need we really answer the first part of that question - no because everyone, regardless of abilities MUST go to experience one of the “Seven Natural Wonders Of The World” and experience it themselves!  

In 2008 I was diagnosed with RRMS, (Relapsing, Remitting Multiple Sclerosis) which was a life changer for us as a couple. Prior to the dx, we had lived an outdoorsy lifestyle, gardening galore, tailgating at County Parks,  walking the dogs, made a living outdoors.  In the Minnesota winters we enjoyed show shoeing, sledding, skating, shoveling, snow blowing, making snowmen, hiking at State Parks and hot tubbing outdoors. We also loved renovating homes and had done that with several homes so we were physically active people and we relied on our physical ability, in part to make a living. That also meant we were always too busy for a trip, or the current project was more important so we’d wait till we retired.  Everything changed with the uncertainty that is an “in your face” reality with MS. 

Our goals, ambitions, priorities changed dramatically during that first year living with RRMS.  Health and wellness became our priority.  How we used our time, energy and finances began to come in line with our new priorities and one of those priorities was to TRAVEL while it was still possible to do so safely, comfortably and financially feasible.  We always talked about going to the Grand Canyon.  Friends returning from their trips came back with thrill and awe in their faces.  But fear remained within us, how would we manage MS so far from the comforts and routine of home?  It was more than fear, terror is more accurate.  Being away from my support network was terrifying, truly. 

That terror eased a bit when I found Outdoor Mindset a few months ago.  I loved the mission to get people of all abilities back in touch with the outdoors, to experience the wonders of nature, even if it’s as simple as feeling the sun on your face or the breeze on your skin.  I shared the OM website with John and we both kind of had a “wow, really” moment, rapidly followed by a “hey, maybe” raised eyebrow look, to a full on “go for it” high five finally.  I secretly contacted OM, was immediately matched with another member who shared our interest in a Grand Canyon trip and had resources to share.  I really needed to find a level of self confidence to be fully on board with the trip and reading about people’s outdoor adventures inspired me to fight the fear and participate in making it happen.  And it did!

September 21, 2013 we departed from Minneapolis International Airport, arriving in Las Vegas early morning.  Stepping off the plane in Vegas really felt like we were in another world beginning our outdoor adventure.  The change in vegetation and dry desert conditions are stunning and bewildering, so vast and sparse.  Looking at the map while on the road, rather than in a recliner back in Minnesota, the environment commanded our attention.  From Vegas, we decided to live on the edge and took a detour to Zion National Park in southwest Utah.  A friend of John’s had said “ So you’re going to the Grand Canyon, that five minute wonder, that big hole in the ground people look at for five minutes and move on.”  Surely, he would rethink his response when faced with such beauty, ruggedness and be at a complete loss for words, as we were when entering Zion National Park.  If Zion National park with it’s fantastic, luscious rust colored peaks and sharp unforgiving cliffs, was our first taste of that so called five minute wonder, we couldn’t imagine what awaited us at the Grand Canyon. As an energy conservation strategy, John got us on the park trolley tour which helped me manage the heat.  I go to jelly in the heat, my body, my brain, it all just slowly comes to a halt.  Leaving Zion was difficult but as an unplanned detour, we had to get back on the road to our next stop, Jacobs Lake Arizona in the Kaibab National Forest 40 miles north of the Grand Canyon - North Rim.

September 22, 2013 we were so excited to get to the Grand Canyon, we didn’t even stop for coffee.  Thought we’d get some on the way, ha ha ha.  Make sure to get your coffee and fill your gas tank at the Jacob Lake Inn before you take off for the canyon.  The terrain in this part of Arizona felt more like home, massive pines, towering aspens and beautiful grassy plateaus made the drive relaxing.  The park ranger at the entrance helped with the access pass application, issued the pass and we were in the Grand Canyon National Park!  With the actual canyon miles ahead, the roads got more windy, tree lines dominated by pines, we got a glimpse of the canyon.  The Grand Canon Lodge - North Rim is a huge, beautiful log and stone structure with dining room, lecture hall and large sunroom overlooking the canyon with huge stone terraces accessible from either side of the sunroom.  The structure was updated to include two chair lifts for accessibility.  Attached to the lodge are a deli, saloon/coffee bar and gift shop.  Our log cabin had all that we needed, comfy bed, toasty warm comforter, modern bathroom and a heater but we slept with the windows open despite the dip in temperature mid 30’s.

The beautiful vast and rugged view of the Canyon is so awesome that to process some of it I have to break it down.  Looking at the animals that call the canyon home and the plants that grow - that would be quite a list. Our short stay was filled with education, hiking paths, sitting on the terraces with coffee in the morning sunrise, with a glass of wine for sunset and enjoying the fabulous menu and service of the dinning room.  I have to say the intimate setting and its rugged beauty undoubtedly leaves me speechless, but I am so grateful to be here, experiencing this with the women I love! I took over 100 photos at the north rim, like a fanatic, or more so there is something about being there with someone you love that you can’t capture on film or express in this writing. With a full day of outdoor adventure in a high altitude, meeting new people from all over the world and processing this experience, we were tired and slept the best we had since leaving home.

September 23, 2013 was cool and breezy.  A good travel day to drive the 5+ hours to the South Rim.  If I could only fly like those California Condors it would’ve been a quick 10 mile trip across the canyon to the south rim.  Along the way we entered the Navajo Reservation crossing over the Little Colorado River Gorge on the historic bridge.  Looking down into that deep red rock river gorge, that river did not look so little to me.  Navajo artisans had booths set up selling beautiful handmade crafts and jewelry.

Our first stop on the South Rim was Desert View, the site of the Watchtower, designed by Mary Colter and built in 1932. Several of Ms. Colter's buildings are still standing.  Pulling into Desert View, the south east canyon entrance's main stay, offers park information, gift shops, acres of hiking among an unfamiliar blooming desert landscape that immediately made us realize we had not thought to bring an Arizona plant identification guide.  Just beyond the tower, the canyon is revealed, showing it’s south view of completely different beauty, showing a different style of dress, compared her partner to the north.  It was like the canyon changed clothes on the south, sporting different look.  The deep canyon views, now topped with gorgeous low growing plant life with a juniper here and there, unlike the north covered in towering pines.

Following the canyon heading west are many stunning overlooks within easy walking distance of the road.  Our goal was to get to the Canyon Visitor Center and explore the Village.  It was really easy to acclimate ourselves to the transit system and with the park maps, we made decisions about how we would spend the day in the park.  Fortunately, we had been able to book 2 nights in Tusayan, 7 miles south of the canyon.  (We were also fortunate we made the trip before the government shut down just a week after we got home.)  I think the small thriving town of Tusayan depends on canyon tourism to thrive.  After exploring our hotel, finding a deli for a quick sandwich I noticed a quietness about town, like it was giving respect to the fantastic evolution taking place around it (the canyon ) and giving it the respect it deserves, succumbing to it, letting the lights go out another night.

The next morning, it was an early quick breakfast and off exploring the canyon.  We got to the south entrance before we could even finish our coffee and parked at the Visitor’s Center, decided what we wanted to see and hopped on the free shuttle bus along with many other travelers from all over the world.  You can travel anywhere in the park on different routes.  We choose the route that has the most views of different parts of the canyon heading west to Hermits Rest.  When boarding the shuttle, we’re looking for that one seat that gives the ultimate view, that panoramic vision and with a spirit of cooperation, we realized others are looking for the same.  With nine stops over several miles we could walk or ride whatever segment of Hermit Road we chose.  How could we go wrong with buses every 15 minutes driven by well informed, courteous staff.  We hiked a good portion of the way on paths that are well maintained, both asphalt and gravel, always on the edge of the canyon for a very up close view.  We stopped to talk about how we wondered if we were looking at the same views as the explorers did so many years ago.  Looking at views so unimaginable, I think everyone finds their own way of burning it into memory.  As we traveled either on foot or transit from Maricopa Point to Hermits Rest and back again we felt so lucky that in our middle years, (and after 35 years of marriage), we could value and enjoy this experience together.  Thankfully, our camera served us well and we enjoy the memories on our computer screen at home daily.  

As reality set in that the end of the day was near, we took our final pictures of that fantastic canyon, the buildings and park grounds. We are grateful to have had the chance to learn about Mary Colter’s work.  We appreciate the National Park Service for maintaining these areas for everyone to experience and for making our visit fun and problem free.  Their work is outstanding.

Our Grand Canyon Trip was ending as we packed ourselves up and drove south to Sedona for 2 days visiting Slide Rock State Park, Red Rock State Park and resting at the pool at our hotel.  We drove Route 66 back towards Las Vegas, stopping at the Hoover Dam to see the new bridge and finally landed at the Hard Rock Hotel for the night before leaving the next morning for home.

Thank you Outdoor Mindset for being out there encouraging people to get outdoors!  Who knows, maybe in the future you’ll be here in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes!

Outdoor Mindset to Participate in Colorado Gives Day

Outdoor Mindset announces its support of Colorado Gives Day 2013 – an initiative to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving to Colorado charities. Presented by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day is a 24-hour period to “Give where you live” by making online donations to the hundreds of charities featured on Community First Foundation’s online giving resource,

ColoradoGives.org

. As a profiled charity on ColoradoGives.org, Outdoor Mindset will benefit from this initiative.

On Colorado Gives Day (12/10/13), Outdoor Mindset will host a one day event:

Going the Distance for Giving Challenge

. Outdoor Mindset supporters are encouraged to go 12.10 miles on 12/10/13 to promote giving on Colorado Gives Day. Participants in the Going the Distance for Giving Challenge may create  fundraising pages here. Help us go the distance to raise awareness, get outside, and promote giving on Colorado Gives Day! For more information, visit our calendar or contact Julie, Community and Programs Manager:

julie@outdoormindset.org

.

“We are excited to be part of Colorado Gives Day this year. This initiative helps raise awareness of the work we do for the community and brings Coloradans together. We are particularly excited about gathering our supporters and getting outside for our first Going the Distance for Giving Challenge,” said Julie Myers, Community and Programs Manger for Outdoor Mindset.

“Thanks to generous Coloradans and hardworking nonprofits, we’ve seen the impact of Colorado Gives Day build dramatically over the last three years in every way,” said Marla J. Williams, president and CEO of Community First Foundation. “Not only the dollars raised, but the number of nonprofits and donors contributing to the success of the day has also grown tremendously. We look forward to continuing this momentum through Colorado Gives Day 2013.”

For more information about Outdoor Mindset, please visit

www.outdoormindset.org

. And for more information about Colorado Gives Day and the other charities involved, please visit

ColoradoGivesDay.org

.

Outdoor Mindset unites and empowers people affected by neurological challenges through a common passion for the outdoors.

Community First Foundation has been serving the community for 38 years, helping donors and nonprofits come together to improve quality of life in the Denver metro area. It funds community programs, supports the services of nonprofit organizations, and assists individuals with charitable giving. The Foundation is also known for its innovative programs such as ColoradoGives.org, an online giving resource that has raised more than $50 million for Colorado nonprofits since 2007 and is the platform for Colorado Gives Day. For more information, visit

www.CommunityFirstFoundation.org

.

Kudos to OM's New Website!

We are psyched about the new platform for our members to connect and get outside. We have continued to grow our membership to over 260 members located in over 30 states. To refresh, here are the programs available to our members through our NEW and IMPROVED website:

• Free Membership Community: Community membership is available for anyone who shares our passion for the outdoors and has been affected by a neurological challenge (including diagnosed individuals and their supporters). Members may connect with other members, participate in our programs, gain access to special events, participate in exclusive giveaways, access member discounts & perks, and more.

• Connect Program: Members may search other members' profiles and connect one-on-one with another member who has experience with a similar diagnosis. These relationships inspire hope, instill passion for maintaining outdoor lives and enable our members to receive support from someone uniquely familiar with their experience.

• Meetup Groups: These groups strengthen connections and empower members to get outside with other members in their local area. Members may join awesome events or organize their own adventures. We are now located in 5 cities, including Boulder, Denver, Breckenridge, Hanover, and Cincinnati!

You MUST be a member to take advantage of the following tools/features. 

Join Now!

• Member Perks: Members can enjoy exclusive member discounts to help motivate and empower them to live big!

• Search other Members:Members may search other members by diagnosis, outdoor passion, city, age, or gender...and connect online to get offline and into the outdoors!

• Say Hito your Connections: Once you are connected to other members, you may send him/her a private message.

Please visit our new 

website

 and email us with your feedback or testimonial: 

connect@outdoormindset.org

Meet Your Denver OM Ambassador, Amanda

We are so excited to have OM members and sisters - Lisa and Amanda Avram - as our new Denver OM Ambassadors. Their Live Big spirit is contagious, and they have some great ideas for fun and unique Meetup events in Denver! Article below was submitted by Amanda Avram.

What’s up, party people!  My name is Amanda.  I’m Lisa’s sister.  I like to think of us as the Dynamic Duo of Neurological Awesomeness. I am also born and raised in Ohio, but I’ve been out here in Denver for 8 years… I think.  Maybe it’s 7 years? I don’t know, somewhere between 7-9 years. I am a Senior Educator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I teach everything from Dinosaurs to brain dissections and to every age from Pre-K to Pre-service teachers. It’s ridiculously fun. I feel like I get paid to play, which is nice!

I consider Colorado to be the most epic playground one could ever imagine.  Rock climbing, hiking, camping, backpacking, snowshoeing, mountaineering, cycling, blah, blah, blah all right outside your door. Not only that, but you get to do it with this stupid awesome backdrop of mountainous goodness all around you. It’s surreal at times (especially when you grew up in Ohio), and it is very zen-like and restorative. Clearly, I love doing all those things. Like my sister, I love climbing the Colorado 14ers and pretty much anything high altitude. I have climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and, recently, went to Argentina to attempt Mt. Aconcagua. I had to turn around at 21,000 ft because of cold. It was a difficult decision to make, but I don’t regret it. I sort of need my fingers and toes. Priorities, I guess! I’d love to go back and give it another go.

Apparently, Epilepsy runs in our family. I grew up with it, our Mom grew up with it, and now Lisa has it!  Hey, sharing is caring. I learned that in pre-school. My seizures started when I was in 1

st

or 2

nd

grade, and I had them through High School. My favorite seizure story starts with, “This one time at band camp…”

My latest neurological adventure is my TBI diagnoses. It happened 5 years ago. I was traveling back from Nevada with a group of friends when our vehicle was struck by a double trailer semi-truck. I can now legitimately say I know what it feels like to get hit by a truck. So, I have that going for me.

What are my hopes for Meet-ups:

I just want to get as many people out doing as many super fun things as possible. I really want to get the Outdoor Mindset Organization out there in the public eye as much as possible. So many people can benefit from this organization, and I want them to hear about it!

Not surprising facts about me:

If you haven’t figured it out, I like to keep things light. Laughter really is the best medicine for me. I’m pretty fun-loving and easy going. I just like having a good time.

If I were a cheese, what kind of cheese would I be?

If I were a cheese, I’d probably be like a Taleggio or something like that. It’s slightly stinky; but, if you can get past the smell, it’s really delicious!

If I were a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, which one would I be:

Michaelangelo, DUH!  He’s goofy and slightly stupid at times, but can wield a nasty set of nunchucks when necessary! Also, he loves pizza as much as I do.

Meet Your Denver OM Ambassador, Lisa

We are so excited to have OM members and sisters - Lisa and Amanda Avram - as our new Denver OM Ambassadors. Their Live Big spirit is contagious, and they have some great ideas for fun and unique Meetup events in Denver! Thanks, ladies! Article below was submitted by Lisa Avram.

Hey Outdoor Mindset! I’m an Ohio native (Go Buckeyes!) who moved to Denver in 2001 and hasn’t looked back. I do miss my family in Ohio; but, I'm lucky to have a brother and sister and their families out here with me.  And, I’ve got some pretty amazing friends all over. I am a special education teacher working at Children’s Hospital Colorado. I teach in program called Project SEARCH- it’s a job development and employability training program for young adults with disabilities….And it’s awesome! I’ve been a special education teacher for 12 years now. Whoa. What? Where does the time go?  

Denver has so many things to do out here - camping, hiking, running, climbing, biking, snowboarding, snowshoeing….you get the idea! and it's all in my backyard. Camping and then climbing a 14er is one of my favorite things to do. (I’ve climbed 9 total, and Bierstadt twice and just want to keep checking them off the list!) I most recently completed the Ragnar Colorado Relay which is a 200 mile running relay that started in Copper, went to Breckenridge, over to Vail, then Glenwood Springs and FINALLY ended in Snowmass. I ran 3 legs of this relay- there was a team of 12- and although all of it was beautiful, my favorite part was running through Glenwood Canyon at 3:00 in the morning, with the sound of the rushing water and the stars above me. It. Was. Perfect. I’ve also ran 2 half marathons, countless 5k’s and 10k’s and one day would love to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and visit Germany.

I have epilepsy- but it hasn’t stopped me from doing things I love. I’ve had seizures as long as I can recall (I remember my first one at the age of 4), but wasn’t “officially” diagnosed and put on medication until 2000. I was in college. That’s a long time to live without knowing what kind of day you were going to have. It took a while to get used to having to take medications and trying a bunch of them to figure out what worked, (and even still things change and it’s like starting all over again) but now I’m an advocate and a supporter for myself and others with epilepsy. I don’t think it’s talked about enough and I’m all about bringing more awareness to the epilepsy community. 

Interesting facts? I've broken/seriously injured my left wrist 3 times in 3 years. The last time, I completely shattered it and I now have a metal plate and 12 pins in it! There was a stint of three years in a row, where I always had some sort of cast or brace on my wrist. It made for some great conversation starters at work, for sure.   

Favorite colors? Brown and green. 

Favorite season? Fall! (It’s here! It’s here!) 

Superpowers?! I've always wished to be invisible-even more than being able to fly.  And I definitely

wouldn't

want to be able to read people's minds! 

I hope that being a member of Outdoor Mindset allows me to meet and support others using my passion for awareness and my passion for the outdoors. I’m a huge believer in the healing powers of “just being” outside and making connections with others. I’m interested in organizing some more Denver meet-ups for OM, and meeting some great new friends! Let’s go Live Big! 

Can Do Day Story - A guest blog from our partner, Can Do MS

In honor of CAN DO DAY, our partner Can Do MS, wanted to share a story on our blog. Can Do Day is all about living big and focusing on what you can do. Get inspired and make a pledge about what YOU can do this September 22nd!

"We were relieved to finally have a diagnosis..."

Amy Sleeper

Most of us spend our childhoods believing that our parents are superheroes – that they’re indestructible, can do anything they want, and can save our lives simply by putting a Band-Aid on a scrape. This belief often disappears quickly as we grow up. Unfortunately for some of us, it disappears for a much different reason. Amy Sleeper’s dad David was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was a junior in high school, even though he had been suffering from its debilitating symptoms for years before that. Within a year, he went from being one of the top finishers in his age group during a local mountain-bike race, to struggling to finish it. He endured years of doctors’ visits, being told that nothing was wrong with him, that he was just getting older. Finally, the doctors diagnosed him with MS. 

“We were relieved to finally have a diagnosis, and although it wasn’t something that I went around telling everyone, it wasn’t something that I ever lied about or hid from anyone who was curious. When I went off to college, I even came home for Thanksgiving with a brand new tattoo – the MS awareness ribbon!” Amy said.

In 2012 David learned about the flagship four-day CAN DO® Program in Denver, CO, and invited Amy to join him as his support partner. Already an active volunteer at the Can Do MS office, Amy participated in this life-changing program and began spreading her

can do

spirit as a daughter, support partner, and humble advocate for Can Do MS. 

“Since the program, I’ve met a handful of young adults just like me whose parents are living with MS. I take the time to explain how amazing my experience was at the program and let them know about all the resources Can Do MS offers. It’s my way of spreading the

can do

philosophy.”

Can Do Day is all about sharing that philosophy! It was created to honor Can Do MS founder Jimmie Heuga (1943-2010) on his birthday and to raise awareness for MS. During September supporters are encouraged to share their pledge on our Facebook page of what they

can do

on Jimmie’s birthday. On September 22

nd

, they post a picture of what they are doing to help spread the

can do

spirit.

Amy’s pledge is inspired by her father as well as her experience at the program.

“I left the program with a new appreciation for life and the realization that even though I may feel indestructible at 25, I could lose that feeling for a number of reasons. I have always tried to live my life to the fullest, but this program and all of the amazing people I met have taught me to take nothing for granted. I see my dad in a new way – I admire him every day for the strength he puts forward to accomplish all of his goals, and I only hope that I can grow up to be as strong as he is.”

Amy’s pledge starts by participating in a five-mile mud run on September 21

st

. On Can Do Day, Amy is going to spend the day raising awareness for MS and our programs by sharing her new appreciation for life through email and social media. Most importantly, Amy is going to spend quality time with her Dad over the phone to let him know how much she loves him and that his strength is her source of inspiration.

Join Amy on Can Do Day, September 22

nd

, to make your own Can Do Day pledge! Help honor Jimmie Heuga on his birthday by sharing your

can do

spirit with your friends and family by raising awareness for MS. Visit the

Can Do MS Facebook

page today to share your pledge!