THE ONES WHO DARED

The 67-Mile Journey: Honoring My Grandmother's Forced Walk, and Building a Water Well.

• Svetka

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Have you ever said yes to something that stretched you beyond your capacity? 

In a few weeks, I’ll be hiking 67 miles on the Appalachian Trail with two of my  friends, Lauren and Stef. Both are marathon runners. It’s not just for the adventure (though it’s definitely going to be one). It’s to honor my grandmother, Tasia.

At 16, she was forced by Nazi soldiers to walk nearly that same distance—67 miles—with nothing but a letter from her grandmother and the words of Psalm 91 to carry her. “No harm will overtake you.”

And here we are, generations later, choosing to walk—freely, intentionally, and for a cause that matters. We’re raising money for @charitywater to help build a well for a community that doesn’t have clean water. 100% of every donation goes directly to the well.

Training hasn’t been easy (hello 30lb backpacks), but the kindness and support we’ve already received has reminded me—none of us are meant to do hard things alone.

Maybe you’re not hiking 67 miles, but I know you’re carrying something heavy. Let this be your reminder: you are stronger than you think, and generations before us have done hard things.

If you want to be part of something meaningful, you can donate or learn more here: https://www.charitywater.org/67miles/67miles

And as you go about your day, know that I am cheering you on. Live boldly. Love deeply. And let’s make this life count.

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Speaker 1:

Hey friends, welcome to the Ones who Dared podcast, where stories of courage are elevated. I'm your host, vekka, and every other week you'll hear interviews from inspiring people. My hope is that you will leave encouraged. I'm so glad you're here. Welcome to the Ones Year Podcast.

Speaker 1:

I'm your host, Vekka, and today I'm recording from Tuscany, italy, on a gloomy, rainy day, this was the day that we were planning on going to Florence and exploring the city and getting some gelato and just really taking in some of the historical points in Florence, but the rain is persistent. It's going to be here all day, so we're just going to wait until it's time to do our pasta making class, which I'm really excited about. This will be the second time that I am doing a pasta class. We just did one with our friend A few friends and I did one with Maria, who's from Sicily, italy. That was so much fun. A bunch of girlfriends and I got together and did that, and this time around, we're doing it in Florence with my family. So I'm really excited to share in this experience together and eat some delicious homemade pasta. Well, I didn't come here to tell you about my pasta experience, but I just wanted to update you on some things that's been happening lately and what I've been up to, and also how you can possibly get involved if you would like.

Speaker 1:

Have you ever done something that stretched you beyond your capacity, something that made you dig deep and remember that you were built for hard things? That's exactly why my two friends, lauren Steph and I, who are, by the way, marathon runners one of them is an avid hiker, and we are about to hike 67 miles in the Appalachian Trail not just for adventure, not just for the sake of challenge, but also for something far greater, because 67 miles, to me, isn't just a number. It represents a journey, one that connects the past with the present, because my grandmother, at just 16 years old, was forced to walk nearly the same distance from her hometown to a train station under the watchful eyes of Nazi soldiers, with barely anything to call her own. She carried one thing that gave her hope, and that was a letter from her grandmother, shoysta, with the words of Psalm 91 written in it no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near you. And she held onto these words. She truly believed that they would carry her through. She believed that no harm was going to come to her because she had this letter, she had these words, and she held on to them the whole way through, as she spent three and a half years in the Nazi concentration camp before she was liberated by the Americans. And so Tassa, my grandmother, walked for two days. She only got to spend one night in the barn before being taken to a concentration camp in Germany.

Speaker 1:

And here we are, generations later, choosing to walk freely, intentionally and for a cause that matters. And I am provided with some of the best tools, some of the best resources, whether it's generous friends who are lending their hiking gear or getting the best hiking boots for Christmas. And just the contrast of the two situation doesn't get away from me. Because you think about her situation and the opportunity that I have now to do this, out of my own desire, really, and my own thoughts of just challenging myself to do this and bringing friends along with me to hike 67 miles. But more than that, we wanted there to be a purpose behind our hike, which is why we chose Charity Water to raise money to help build a well in a community that lacks access to clean drinking water, and because water is essential. Especially when you're hiking, you know that water is the number one resource you need in order to survive. So we have a chance to provide that life for people who desperately need it.

Speaker 1:

And what I love about Charity Water I've actually heard the founder speak on the story of Charity Water. What I love about this organization is that 100% of the donations go directly to the well. Not a penny goes towards admin costs or anything else or marketing. 100% of your donations will go directly to establishing a well where it's needed the most. And also, if you do donate which I'll give you the link later you can actually track where your donations are going and you can see where the well is built and how many people it's impacting, and you can you know. If you desire at some point to visit that well, you can do that as well. But building a well was actually something that I written in my eulogy and something that I wanted to do for a long time, so that also kind of connects to my purpose, my pillar, and so, yeah, I'm really excited that this hike is also going to provide that. We already raised $259 towards that and I think, I believe, that it's about it is $10,000 to build a well.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, and training for this hike has been no joke. Like I said, lauren and staff are marathon runners. I feel like I'm the one that's the least qualified for this hike because we're going to be carrying bags of that are going to weigh around 30 pounds. I'm hoping to have it no more than 30 pounds and I'm pretty short, I'm about five two, so it's going to be a lot to carry that in the bag, and we're hiking six days, five nights, hoping to cover the 67 miles. And so, yeah, I'm really thankful for our friends who have been really generous and encouraging and just sharing so much wisdom along the way, like wearing silk socks under wool socks to prevent blisters, and so much more.

Speaker 1:

And so I know that we can do hard things and I know that you can do hard things. So maybe you're not someone who's hiking 67 miles, but I know there's something in your life that may feel really hard, and maybe it's a tough conversation that you need to have with somebody. Maybe it's pushing through when everything in you wants to quit. Maybe it's finally taking the bold, brave leap on something you always wanted to do, but you fear, and fear has been holding you back. Maybe you just don't feel like you're worthy, that you're enough, and so I just want to encourage you that you are capable, that you're able. So this is just a reminder that you're worthy, that you're enough, and so I just want to encourage you that you are capable, that you're able. So this is just a reminder that you're stronger than you think, that you're more capable than you think, and that generations before us have endured. So can we. We are built for more than just comfort. We are built for courage. So if you want to support our journey and be part of something bigger than yourself, feel free to donate at charitywaterorg. Slash 67 miles. Slash 67 miles, and every dollar goes towards making a real and tangible impact. And I will put the link in the show notes so you can just click on it and go directly there, and it will have more information on there as well. And so, as you go about your day, just know that I'm cheering you on to live boldly, love deeply and make this life count.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for tuning in. I hope you're having a fabulous week. And, just so you know, you can always send me a text. There is a link here as well, on the podcast, that you can send a link directly. I think it's called fan mail, so I'd love to hear from you. I read all the comments, read all your reviews and thank you so much for listening. I really appreciate it. Thank you for listening to the ones who dare podcast. It is an honor to share these encouraging stories with you. If you enjoy the show, I would love for you to tell your friends. Leave us a reviewer rating and subscribe to wherever you listen to podcasts, because this helps others discover.