Community Corner
Conquering the Grand Canyon for Injured U.S. Soldiers
Paul Monahan took on the biggest physical challenge of his life to honor the service of U.S. military members and recognize the challenges they face on a daily basis. Sponsored by Grape-Nuts.
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—23 miles from North Rim to South Rim—in 13 ½ hours in an effort to raise money for injured members of the military.
Inspired by an episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in which a U.S. Marine suffering from acute post-traumatic stress disorder was the beneficiary of a newly built home Monahan, of Strongville, spearheaded the inaugural Steps for Soldiers event. The rim-to-rim hike raised more than $23,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project.
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“The challenge for us on that day was a metaphor for what our injured military face every day,” Monahan said.
The obstacles the team had to overcome were many: from blisters and exhaustion to minor knee injuries. “We all felt like we had been run over by a truck the next morning.”
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The sheer scope of the hike was daunting, with more than 60,000 steps and 11,000 feet in elevation changes. But the hikers persevered, motivated by their charity and by a big pizza party awaiting them at the South Rim.
“Even though we were exhausted, we felt an unbelievable sense of accomplishment," Monahan said. "And everyone had their own story about how they had to dig deeper than they ever thought they could have in order to push through the exhaustion and make it to the top.”
With the inaugural hike completed, Monahan is busy planning the Second Annual Steps for Soldiers this fall.
“We are looking at repeating the hike in late September or early October of this year,” Monahan said. “Our hope is that we may be able to sponsor a veteran who could physically make the trip with us, who could help us carry the Wounded Warrior flag, so to speak, and be a visible representative for his brothers and sisters in the military who are facing tough challenges every day.”
Monahan said he hopes to enlist more hikers this year, and the fundraising goal is lofty—$100,000.
“[The Grand Canyon] is massive,” Monahan said. “And everyone gets it that if you can walk across it in one day, you have really done something.”