SWEATYS GET ACTIVE AND GIVE BACK AWARD NOMINEE
WHO: Jesse Ross, 20, from New Hampshire.
WHAT: Jesse hiked the entire Appalachian Trail to help the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth. He’s raised $8,500.
BEST PART ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE: The lasting perspective I now have on life! I met incredible people and saw some beautiful country. I also had some very lonely times and struggled. My connection to people has strengthened and I’m so grateful for all the people that enhanced my experience that is still a part of me.
TOUGHEST PART ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE: I had a few rough days and many difficult moments that I had to endure. Living outside means rain is part of life. I struggled to get through the first few wet days. The mental grind of falling and getting back up and moving when nobody is pushing you took a lot of adjustment. The more difficulty I faced– the more committed I became.
ONE NUGGET OF ADVICE: People are good! People want to help! Push yourself hard and people will notice. Especially when fundraising – reflect on the people you could be helping and the motivation does not stray.
MY CHARITY FIRES ME UP BECAUSE: It changes lives!! CHaD’s role in my life was paramount and I was just a single patient. These people have committed their lives to smiles, health and happiness when it is hardest to find these things. It was so cool to work with CHaD. Read Jesse’s story from CHaD and why he loves to support them.
MY POSITIVE TRACKS COORDINATOR HELPED ME BY: Keeping me in the loop! While I was hiking and feeling far away from the fundraising/home Hilary Hubbard at CHaD and Liz Gray at Positive Tracks, kept in touch with some positive, encouraging messages!
WHY GET SWEATY FOR A CAUSE: Pushing your body starts with pushing your mind! The physical feat is so small compared to the extended reward of helping people through challenging yourself. Sweating for a cause is so much better than just sweating!!
JESSE’S STORY ON THE POSITIVE TRACKS GOOD SWEAT BLOG:
People Are Good.
Positive Tracker Jesse Ross and his two hiking buddies found themselves repeating that as they hiked the Appalachian Trail last summer. All three were overwhelmed with acts of kindness and generosity – both small and large – and from total strangers along the entire 2,185-mile journey. Jesse had taken the spring term off from his Environmental Engineering studies at the University of New Hampshire to hike the trail and raise dollars for Positive Tracks’ Charity Partner, the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD). Jesse, born at CHaD on May 22, 1995, spent half of his first 20 days of existence there, battling for his life against a severe pulmonary disorder called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). We caught up with Jesse back at school and in clean, dry clothes to hear his reflections on the experience that left him, “feeling blessed and humbled”.
Was it harder or easier than you imagined? It was not as hard as I imagined. I got lucky with how smooth it went. Getting comfortable in those first few weeks is the hardest part. It felt like the first few weeks of college. I was glad to have put my planning in, from fall to spring, and especially to be well prepared mentally. As someone said of hiking the AT, the best piece of equipment is your brain.
How did you decide to make this a benefit for CHaD? As soon as the hike became a solid plan, I knew the proximity to Hanover and to CHaD. There was enough energy around the hike that it made sense to push pause [on school] and do it. Both my parents are still amazed I am here and healthy. It seemed like a good way to show that all these opportunities out there are reachable if you make them a priority.
How did Positive Tracks help you make it happen? It was great working with Hilary, CHaD’s Positive Tracks Coordinator, who was super excited and helped me set up my fundraising page. And it was cool when I could tell my friends at school about the dollar doubling. They’d say, “Oh, I can donate $10” and it felt meaningful to them.
Whom did you hike with? I started alone and had the intent to walk it alone. But on the trail, I made great friends with Johnny and Jamie, both 23, and both from North Carolina. I was with them from CT to the end. A huge part of the trail was having friends – more so for those times in town to have someone to go shopping with, relax and hang out.
What was your trail name? I went 3-4 weeks on the trail without a name before Johnny said, “I want to call you something other than Jesse”. So I pulled out an old nickname, Cake Boss.
How did hiking for a cause affect your motivation? Johnny was also walking for a cause (Alzheimers research), so we had that in common. To us, a bad day was never as bad a day as it could be. We were very aware of how lucky we are to be healthy and able to hike. It helped us keep things in perspective, and be able to shake off a bad day.
You grew up in NH and fell in love with the mountains there. What was it like to cross into New Hampshire on the Ledyard Bridge, and be met by fans, Positive Tracks, and CHaD staff: That was one of the most special days of my life—a rush of emotions. As we got closer, the fundraising on my site was picking up. (I had my iPhone with an external battery that I recharged at every stop.) I was pretty excited and warned my friends that there might be a few people. When we saw the crowd gathered on the bridge, they hung back and said, “You’ve got to do this.” My mom met me halfway across the bridge, hugged me, and told me that “Bill Edwards was here”.
What does Dr. Bill Edwards mean to you? He was a household name when I was growing up. Every year around my birthday we would talk about him for about a week. The main story is about when I had rejected the respirator and CHaD staff quickly made arrangements to send me to Boston on the DHART helicopter for a Nitric Oxide study. There was a storm coming in that morning, and we had a 20-minute window for DHART to fly out. Dr. Edwards was in the helicopter with me, having to handbag my breathing because I wasn’t hooked up to any machines. Until this moment, though, I had never met him. I knew right away how great it would feel to shake his hand.
Did you experience trail magic? Yes! From the very start, kind acts of trail magic from trail angels started appearing and continued all the way north. Old hikers gathered on the trail and grilled hot dogs for passing hikers, people let you set up tents in their yards, or put out coolers of cold soda on a hot day. It really does feel like magic at the time. It changes your day and makes you smile. The best was when it was snowing in Tennessee. A guy approached us and said, “Not to sound creepy, but you might be in trouble out there and you can crash at my place if you want.” We stayed with him for two days, warm and safe. It was so cool to share stories. Also, in Rangely, Maine, a guy from an ATV company took us for a two hour moose watching tour.
Did the trail change you as a person? The trail can work miracles if you need it to, but looking for meaning also puts a lot of pressure on the experience. It was a joy to hike without the pressure for this to be a transformative experience or a way to find direction in life. That said, I’m still experiencing it in new ways and getting new perspectives on where the trail comes up in my life.
Did you ever consider quitting? It was never an option. There’s a saying on the trail. “You don’t quit unless you have seven bad days in a row.” It got bad in CT. The weather was really hot, my feet were in bad shape, and then it rained. I hadn’t showered in 12 days. In general, I couldn’t take more than 5-6 days of bad weather. It was tough to see people you respected (you get to know them fast on the trail) quit after a few bad days.
Would you recommend Philanthletics in general and hiking the AT specifically to others? Yes, on both! I would recommend the AT to anyone who takes it seriously. The entire experience left me with an overwhelming sense that people are good. I felt so blessed, especially with the fundraising part of it. To say that “I did this” is so backwards because so many people came together and rallied around ME.