More Than a Finish Line: SLHS Enrollment Manager Finds God’s Strength on the T5 Challenge

The Monday after completing the T5 Challenge, Pastor Glenn congratulated me during our staff meeting. I hadn’t planned on announcing the accomplishment, but I appreciated the recognition from my peers. Later that morning, I made my way into the office, where Mrs. Sever and Mrs. Berger congratulated me and asked about my experience. Honestly, I was still processing everything. The emotions, the accomplishment, the tests and the gains mentally, physically, and spiritually. As I began recounting my experience, I was brought to tears sharing the magnitude of it all. It truly was beyond what words could describe. After hearing my story, Mrs. Berger asked if I would be willing to write something for the Sierra Lutheran News. I was initially reluctant. I only wanted to share the story if I could find a way to give God all the glory for the accomplishment. I wasn’t sure I could put into words what I had experienced or accurately describe the significance of it all. Not long after our conversation, I was given the opportunity to interview with the Nevada Appeal. Again, I was nervous and a little tentative. I have a hard time understanding the balance between boasting about an accomplishment and sharing a story in hopes of inspiring others. At the conclusion of the interview, I knew that my testimony of Jesus being my strength and courage would likely not be published. And so I wanted to take the opportunity to share what didn’t make the article.

Where It All Began

I fell in love with pacing in July 2022, when my childhood friend, Ricky Miller, had a pacer drop out the day before his attempt to complete the Tahoe 100, a local 100-mile race and qualifier for the Western States lottery, his ultimate goal. My husband was already committed to pacing the approximately 34-mile overnight segment. That night, as I lay awake tracking their progress, I couldn’t stop thinking about supporting Ricky the following day. While I casually mentioned that I might hike with him from Diamond Peak Lodge to the top of the Crystal ski run, where the resort meets the Tahoe Rim Trail, I knew in my heart that I was in it for the long haul. I wanted to cheer him on, encourage him, and see him through to the finish. And that is exactly what I did. I have a deep desire to lift others up, pull them along, and support them in reaching their goals. I love helping to expose people’s true potential! Pacing gave me an opportunity to do just that.

After that summer, Ricky entered the Western States lottery but wasn’t selected. At that point, I knew he would be back to attempt the Tahoe 100 again. Sure enough, in 2024, Ricky called and asked me to pace the longer overnight segment. And that is when the training really began. I started taking on longer mileage, bigger elevation gains, dark hikes before sunrise, and attempting things I didn’t know were possible. With each hike, I gained strength. I learned to tap into courage through Jesus, often reciting Psalm 23 in the darkness of the early morning. I learned that when it’s really steep, don’t look up. I learned that if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you really do make progress. And I learned that the trail is my prayer room. Spending hours in His creation, in conversation, in prayer, seeking Him, constantly giving gratitude and thanksgiving, and learning how He guides my steps became an important part of my life. In fact, I was led to apply at Sierra Lutheran through prayers on the trail.

The trail is my prayer room.

I did pace Ricky again in the Tahoe 100, and I fell in love with trail running and being a pacer. So I continued clocking miles and elevation, long after the race was over. I enjoy sharing with those I mentor and coach that there is no such thing as an overnight success. You obtain success by giving your full effort when no one is looking, by leaning into obedience, and by practicing self-control and discipline. Over the years, this has gone from a hobby to a lifestyle, and I give God all the glory because each success is guided by His Word.

The T5 Challenge

When my friend Alison Hardy, an Orangetheory coach, asked me to join her on the T5 Challenge, I was ready to pace. The T5 wasn’t something I had a longing desire to complete personally. However, after she mentioned it, I definitely thought a lot about the possibility. But again, I love pacing, not racing, and I wanted to help guide her to her goal of being the first female finisher of this event. I wanted to be sure I could participate at a level that supported her needs. I didn’t want to slow her down at any point. I joined the challenge as a pacer, and on our first attempt, I fulfilled that promise. What I didn’t expect was to do it again. However, after an unsuccessful first attempt, the opportunity presented itself for another go. And as we were heading down the second peak (Granite Chief), in my heart, I knew I was going to complete it!

We stayed together through the first four of the five peaks. But as my pace slowed toward the end of Freel Peak, I urged Alison to go ahead and meet up with her new, fresh-legged pacer. She had a game plan laid out. Nutrition, driver, and final peak pacer were all in place. There was no doubt in my mind that she would be the first female to complete the challenge. As I left the Freel Peak trailhead, I was extremely emotional, exhausted, and second-guessing my ability to complete the challenge solo. At that point, I called my husband, who encouraged me to finish. I set out to complete the challenge on Genoa Peak.

In My Weakest Moment

I made it to the summit with about two hours to get back to the parking lot. There was no moon. The trail was dark, my headlamp was fading, and fear of my surroundings was beginning to creep in. I decided to change out my headlamp for more light. Interestingly enough, the additional light created more fear. I kept looking back behind me, feeling like something was there, stalking me. And in that moment, I was blessed by the Holy Spirit, believing that the additional light was Jesus. I immediately gained the strength and courage I had lacked just moments before, knowing He was walking with me, step by step. In the moments that followed, I experienced what it truly means to not be walking by my own strength, but by His strength. It is impossible to really put the experience into words or describe it in a way that expresses just how profound that moment was. But in one of my weakest, most vulnerable moments I had ever experienced, He was there.

In one of my weakest, most vulnerable moments, He was there.

What I didn’t know was that after our phone call, my husband had packed a bag, grabbed our dog, Dodger, and driven to the trailhead. With about three and a half miles remaining, just after that incredible spiritual experience, Jake surprised me on the trail. I was overwhelmed. To me, it was such a beautiful example of the godly man my husband is. He didn’t just encourage me to finish; he showed up to help me do it. He paced me through those final miles to the finish. I had spent years finding joy in pacing others, encouraging them, and supporting them in reaching their goals. And here I was, in the final miles of the biggest physical challenge I had ever attempted, being paced by someone who had come to encourage and support me. But what I will remember most is that when I felt I couldn’t take another step, Jesus gave me the strength and courage to continue. He carried me to the finish line.

Giving God All the Glory

And so I share this experience not with the intention of boasting about my accomplishment, but in hopes of inspiring others to lean into their faith in times of challenge. In those moments when you feel like you can’t take another step, when you feel weak and vulnerable, when the path ahead seems overwhelming, I hope you remember that you are not walking alone.

You are not walking alone.

I think about the years of training, the long miles, the elevation, the early mornings in the dark, and the lessons I learned along the way. Each experience was an opportunity to grow, not only physically and mentally, but spiritually. I give God all the glory for this accomplishment. I thank Him for His encouragement, His strength, and His presence through it all. I am grateful for the people He has placed in my life and for His calling on my life. My goal isn’t simply to finish races or climb mountains. It is to faithfully run the race God has set before me, to use the gifts and opportunities He has given me, and to pass the baton to the next generation. If my experience can encourage even one young person to persevere, to trust in Jesus, and to discover the strength and courage that comes from walking with Him, then sharing this story is worth it. Because the greatest part of this accomplishment isn’t what I did. It’s what God did through me.