Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival

On December 7th, 2024, I will be participating in the 24 Hour Running of the Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival.

I have learned many valuable lessons on my trail running and ultra racing journey. One of the most important lessons has been the power of small things accumulating over time. A three mile run during my lunch break added 15 miles to my training week. That daily lunch run coupled with another 4 or 5 mile run after work built the foundation of my training. Each individual run on its own seemed insignificant, almost useless. But stacked, one on top of the other, day in and day out, through patience, consistency and faith, those insignificant runs accumulated into a mountain of possibility. Which has allowed me to pursue and achieve goals I once only dreamed of. And it’s that lesson that I am reminded of now as a community of endurance athletes rallies around the victims of Hurricane Helene. Tanawha Adventures has partnered with legends of the sport to host a fund raising event in Old Fort, North Carolina. The event seeks to raise at least two million dollars to funnel back into the community for rebuilding and support. We as participants in the event have been tasked to raise at least $1,500 each. So as insignificant as an individual twenty dollar or even five dollar donation may seem, it is my belief that small things accumulate. And that together we can make a big difference. We can stack the insignificant into a mountain of possibilities. I will be towing the line on race day in an attempt to run 100 miles over the course of 24 hours. But it is an honor to be a part of something bigger than just running. If you are feeling blessed, please consider donating to help us reach our goal of bringing restoration to the devastated areas of western North Carolina.

Help me in my effort to raise money for the Old Fort Strong Fund. This fund is dedicated to helping support community members in Old Fort who have lost their homes or had significant damage to their homes and will not receive any help to pay for rebuilding from insurance.  Due to the massive flooding that took place outside of historic flood zones, many homes did not have flood insurance to cover this cost.  In total 50+ homes were lost in McDowell County alone.  The goal is to raise $2,000,000 from this event alone to help in this cause.  All donations will go directly to helping those in need in our community.