043 - Realizing I Am No Longer Injured with Julie Gayheart

In this week's episode Julie Gayhart, known as Jester on the Trail shares her journey as an educator and passionate hiker, discussing her experiences on the Appalachian Trail and the significance of hiking in her spiritual life. She reflects on the challenges faced by women in hiking, the importance of community, and how her faith has evolved through her outdoor experiences. Julie also opens up about her health struggles and how they have impacted her hiking journey, ultimately leading her to a deeper understanding of faith and resilience. In this conversation, Julie shares her profound journey of healing, faith, and personal growth following multiple foot surgeries. She discusses the emotional and physical challenges she faced, including depression and the struggle to regain strength. Throughout her journey, she emphasizes the importance of community, faith, and the support of men of God who played pivotal roles in her recovery. Julie's story highlights the significance of seeking help, embracing vulnerability, and the unexpected ways in which healing can occur. Ultimately, she reflects on her renewed faith and desire to deepen her understanding of spirituality.

Connect with Julie: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jestersectionhiker/
Podcast: https://www.hikingradionetwork.com/show/jester-section-hiker/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JulieGayheart

The Balance of Gray
God, doubt, and proof walk into a podcast... it goes better than you’d expect!

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The Signpost Inn Podcast
Find peace, clarity, and companionship for your spiritual journey.

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Chapters

• 16:22 [Ad] The Balance of Gray
• 17:12 (Cont.) 043 - Realizing I Am No Longer Injured with Julie Gayheart
• 34:12 [Ad] The Signpost Inn Podcast
• 34:58 (Cont.) 043 - Realizing I Am No Longer Injured with Julie Gayheart

Transcript

McKenzie Smith (00:02)
On today's episode of My Valley, His Victory, we have Julie Gayhart, also known as Jester on the Trail. Julie is an educator by day and hiker at heart. She completed the Appalachian Trail in July of 2017 after 12 summers of section hiking. Julie loves to talk trail and on her own podcast, Jester, Section Hiker, you will hear amazing stories and experiences from other section hikers with a love for the trail and a passion for hiking. Thanks so much for being with us today, Julie.

Julie (00:31)
Hey Mackenzie, it's finally good to be on here and I just want to give you a compliment right from the get-go. I am so glad you started this podcast. It's unique and it's telling people's stories of how they connect with God. So when I saw you on Instagram, I was like, finally somebody started this style of podcast. So here we are.

McKenzie Smith (00:55)
Thank you so much, that is so sweet. my heart. I'm like, that's so kind. So why don't you go ahead and share with the listeners just a little bit more about yourself and who you are.

Julie (01:09)
So my name is Julie Gayheart. My trail name is Jester and you read in my bio. So I am an educator by day. So I teach high school. This is my 18th year of being a high school educator. And I'm an educator by day. That's my day job, but I'm a hiker at heart. hiking is my passion. It's what I'd love to do. It's where I feel

the most connected to God and being out in nature. And it just feeds my soul. And I really started hiking avidly back in 2006 on the Appalachian Trail. And that began my journey of section hiking the Appalachian Trail and also began my journey in teaching high school because prior to that,

I was in the hospitality industry, I was in retail, and it all kind of came together that somehow I started teaching high school and I had the summers off and it began to work out perfectly for me to pursue completing the Appalachian Trail as a section hiker. And I did end up completing the trail in 2017. And in fact,

I am 545 miles away from completing the Appalachian Trail again for a second time as a section hiker. So there is my story in a nutshell. I do have my own individual podcast called Jester Section Hiker. I started that podcast in 2019. It is part of a network of shows.

McKenzie Smith (02:40)
Heck yeah!

Julie (02:59)
from the Hiking Radio Network and I am the first podcast to specifically have on and talk about people's section hiking long-distance trails.

McKenzie Smith (03:10)
Yeah, if you guys can't see, I know you can't see if you can't see, but she's wearing a hat that says, love hiking. So, truly does love hiking. I love that. I need that hat. Whenever you hopped on, I was like, I need one of those.

Julie (03:26)
I know it's a good icebreaker with people. Whenever I see people on trail, you know, they're either running or hiking by, they're like, my God, I love that hat. So I got this hat back in 2018 at an outfitter in Franklin, North Carolina along the Appalachian Trail called Outdoor 76. And there's a story behind this. So I saw the hat in the store and did not buy it.

And then about two weeks later, I kept thinking about this hat. So I specifically got in the car, drove four hours back to Franklin and bought the hat. So there you go.

McKenzie Smith (04:01)
that's a good story. If it stays on your mind, then it was meant to be.

Julie (04:05)
Yeah, I mean I had to drive four hours back to get a $22 hat. I think that's what it was.

McKenzie Smith (04:12)
I love that. Well, I think it's cool that you do the podcast that you have because I was just talking to someone about this. think we, you know, there's all these YouTubers and all of these people out here that talk about these just like huge monumental thru-hikes and kind of that thru-hiker lifestyle. And I feel like there's either this, you're a beginner backpacker or you're an ultra light thru-hiker and...

really the majority of people make up the in-between, but there's not a lot of resources and things out there for the in-between. And so I think it's really cool what you're doing because honestly, most people probably can't get out and through hike a major trail in the U.S. in their lifetime. Like until you retire, I don't know, you know, a time where you have six months off unless you quit your job or, you know, something crazy happens. And so

I love that that's what you're doing and that you are sharing those stories because I think that your dream of thru hiking doesn't have to go away. You just may have to chop it up.

Julie (05:14)
Yeah, that's a great way to put it. And I've had all types of people on my show, whether they're hiking the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Arizona Trail. I mean, even your smaller trails in your state, like here in North Carolina, we have the Mountains of Sea Trail. So it's 1,100 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park all the way to the coast of Carolina. And

My podcast really features those of us that have a day job, have a family, have a life, but we still have that inner core passion of getting out there and hiking.

McKenzie Smith (05:58)
Yeah, yeah, I think that's beautiful. Because I think, like I said, that makes up probably the majority of the population. And so I think what you're doing is really important. So talk to us about how you got the name Jester and how that came about.

Julie (06:13)
So Jester comes from my very first backpacking trip that I did on the Appalachian Trail. It was a group of five of us ladies, you can imagine. This was back in the summer of 2006. We were a hot mess. I mean, literally we had dishes. I mean, we had like literal dishes. I mean, we had stuff dangling off of our packs. We all had bear canisters.

McKenzie Smith (06:30)
You

Julie (06:43)
because I was hiking with two of my friends that were used to hiking on the West Coast. They were like, well, we have to carry the bear canisters. And I was like, all right, well, I mean, if that's what we have to do. I just wanted to be on the AT so bad and finally, you know, put boots on the ground. If they were willing to go, I was willing to do whatever.

I had boots on that were, mean, literally they were like work boots. They were almost, I mean, you would say they were almost up to my knees. It was insane. They actually collapsed. had horrible blisters. We all had ailments and fakes that happened to us. so one night, the very last night we were out, we were out for a week. And I mean, you'd have thought we'd have walked from the East coast to the West coast by the time we got done, but it was only like 50 something miles.

I mean, but we made it. And the very last night, I should back up and say each of us carried 10 pounds worth of food. Somebody had 10 pounds of breakfast. Somebody had 10 pounds of lunch. Somebody carried all the snacks. I mean, that's just what we did. We broke it. I had no idea. And I shared a tent with somebody, which I will never do that again. After that trip, I never did that again. So the last night,

we were cooking dinner and it was like noodles or ramen or something like that. And we passed out our bowls and you know, our silverware and everything we carried with us. And somehow as soon as a girl from a minor day was Roxanne, she put, I guess my ramen in my bowl. just, it just fell over and dumped in the dirt.

And I literally just decided that's a wrap. I'm going to pick this up. I put it back in my bowl and I just started eating it. I was like, I'm so tired. I'm so exhausted. I don't care if it's dirt. I don't care what it is. And another one of my friends that were with was with us. She was like, my God, you have been like a jester, like a court jester, like all week. You've just made light of stuff instead of crying. We're all laughing. So they originally named me the jester.

But over the years, it just became jester. So, and ever since then, I've always just tried to make light of things like, you know, when you go out, not everything's going to go perfect. You're going to have to pivot. And if I would have had the wherewithal, I sure would have videotaped, you know, our first trip out there. We were a prime example of everything not to do, but have fun anyways, the way I'll describe that trip.

McKenzie Smith (09:20)
Hey, you know what? As long as you had fun and nobody got seriously hurt, I think you did all right. It sounds like you had.

Julie (09:27)
No, we were changing clothes and hanging up clothes. I mean, like we were doing laundry in the middle of the day. I mean, it was insane.

McKenzie Smith (09:35)
I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for this experience.

Julie (09:39)
And people were going by us like, but one of the things I will say, this was back in 2006, my first trip out there, that people were amazed that five women were out there traveling and hiking together. And that would be another theme that I took away from the trip, even though we were a hot mess. And when people came upon us, they were like, my gosh, what are y'all doing? You got bear catators.

McKenzie Smith (09:54)
Yeah.

Julie (10:05)
but everybody commented of how was so cool that women were out on the trail. And I had no idea that that was not a thing. And even then when I started, I didn't really know that section hiking was a thing, that people consider themselves day hikers. I didn't care, I just wanted to be on the trail.

McKenzie Smith (10:15)
Yeah.

Thank

Yeah, yeah, that's, that would have been a very different time, I feel like, and I think there's even still the stigma today, you know, of like, women shouldn't go into the back country alone, you know, or whatever. And it's just like, I'm more scared of everyday life than I am in the back country, but.

Julie (10:48)
Well, exactly, exactly. And you know, the old, you know, you should, are you going by yourself? You know, that's usually the first question I get. Do you go by yourself? And I'm like, absolutely. On purpose.

McKenzie Smith (10:50)
you

Yep. Yep. Same. Yep. I get that question all the time and people just look at me like in fear. They're like, and I'm like, it's okay, guys. Like, I promise it's okay. I'm probably safer.

Julie (11:10)
Exactly.

McKenzie Smith (11:15)
Okay, so talk to us a little bit about how all of this outdoor recreation and backpacking plays a role in your relationship with Christ.

Julie (11:26)
To begin that story, probably have to go back and give you a little backstory. So I grew up in a very strong Christian household, grew up in Ohio, and I would say my family considers themselves Baptist. So I grew up Baptist. And what that meant for me was you were in church in Sunday morning, Sunday school, that you had Sunday church, then you had Sunday evening, then you had Wednesday evening, then you had youth group.

and all the things. So whenever the church doors were open, we were there. And I did everything with the youth group and went to summer camp every summer. And I actually accepted Christ into my heart during summer camp when I was 16 years old and came back, got baptized, the whole thing. And as I grew into my teenage years, getting a job,

and starting to work and I started to go to church less and less and I started to think of church as a bunch of rules and regulations and don't do this and don't do that. So as I progressed going through college, getting into my 20s, I actually moved away from the church because I saw the church as

a bunch of rules and regulations and things that I didn't want to adhere to anymore. And one of the things that I never really understood, and I grew up, were silent in the church and women were not to say amen after a prayer. You know, we were only to wear dresses. mean, don't wear jeans. We didn't go swimming. We don't go to dances or anything of that nature. So that was my upbringing. And I'm very grateful and thankful for my upbringing.

and I love my parents and I'm very glad they brought me into the faith. But I think I had to go on my own journey through my 20s, my 30s. And I always knew in my heart that, you know, I was saved, I belonged to the Lord, but that was always on one side. And then whatever I wanted to do was on the other side. And I'll just go ahead and say, I am now,

51 years old. So, and I would say through my 20s, my 30s, and even into my mid to later 40s, I was always on the outskirts of really diving into my faith. And like I said, I always knew I was a Christian, but it was me on the outside and everything that God wanted me to do and

you know, Jesus called me to do, it was peripheral, if that makes sense, until I started hiking. So back in 2006, you know, 2007 and forward, the only place I ever felt close to God was in nature. It was like I could go out on a run, I could go out on a trail run, I could go out on a hike. And there was just this sense of belonging, peace.

calm, that was where I was supposed to be. And I think more than anything, for those of you that listen or really get into hiking and backpacking, a lot of times it's all about the gear, you know, it's all about various things. And for me, it was, when can I get back out so I could feel that peace and that calm and that closeness?

you know, to God. So, and I would listen to church music and I still do and sing hymns out loud on the trail. And it was just, that was my church. So hiking became my church and it didn't matter what day it was, any day of the week, Saturday, Sunday. And that really was the status quo until recently, I would say until the past three years.

McKenzie Smith (15:42)
Yeah, and what has changed in the last three years?

Julie (15:46)
So over the last three years, when something you love has been quote unquote taken away from you, various things start to happen. So back in 2018, 2019, I started having issues with my right foot, with a tendon on the right side of my foot. And it would bother me.

And I would go to the podiatrist and I would get a cortisone shot and then it would go away. And then year over year, it would bother me again. And then I would go get a cortisone shot and then it would go away. And you and I were talking prior to the podcast, cause we were talking about your, John Muir trail, backpacking trip you had this summer and how awesome it was. And then I told you that

A failed attempt to complete the John Muir Trail is really what led me to finally what I thought was getting my foot fixed. So right before I had foot surgery, I had a knot on the side of my foot. It just kind of looked like a pebble. And when I would go hike, I mean, would ache and ache and ache and...

come to find out there's a tendon that goes down the side of your leg and connects down, you know, that little bony part that comes off the side of your foot right there at the fifth metatarsal. Anyway, you'll get a anatomy lesson. That tendon was just swollen and it wasn't ever gonna go down again. It had scar tissue and it was just to the point where somebody needed to go in and clean it up.

So I was like, all right, well, let's clean it up. So I had mentally in my mind, I was like, after the job, your trail, I'm going to go have surgery and we're going to get this cleaned up. Well, needless to say, we only made it three days into our attempt on the job, your trail. My foot was kiloby, the individual I was with, we both had altitude sickness. And so we called it and decided to go home on day three. So got home.

My foot was killing me. I was like, that is it. I can't hike anymore. I just can't do anything. I don't even want to walk. And so decided to go in and have what was supposed to be, we're just going to go in here and clean this up. You know, like you would have a meniscus done on your knee and then you'll be back hiking in about eight weeks. So that was what I thought.

So in my mind, I was like, all right, I'm gonna have surgery, this is all gonna get cleaned up and I'm out of here and I'll be back to hiking in eight weeks. Well, needless to say, that was not the case. So I did have the surgery and after the surgery, you have to be off your foot for so many weeks and then you can start walking again and then physical therapy. So once I started walking again after the foot, after the surgery,

I was like, something's wrong with my foot. It hurts worse than it's ever hurt before. So went back to the doctor. He was like, well, I mean, this is just the way it is right now and you're gonna have, you need to strengthen your foot. And I was like, all right, well, how do I do that? Well, he never, you know, really said you need to go to like intensive physical therapy. You need to do this. You need to do that.

So I finally said, listen, I think I need some help with this. So he sent me to physical therapy and the first physical therapist was like, wow. Yeah, we need to do some work on this. And I could tell by people's faces when they saw my foot, it did look right. I mean.

So went to physical therapy and then that first round of physical therapy, I was like, look, it feels like I felt like I had a speed bump on the bottom of my foot. I was like, this is not right. So went back to the doctor and he was like, well, you're just gonna have to get orthotics. And I was like, I just had surgery. Why do I need orthotics? Like I thought you went in there and cleaned all this up.

So I was like, at this point in my gut, I'm like, something's not going right. And also at this point, I couldn't even talk about anything without crying. Like I couldn't talk about my foot. I couldn't talk about making another appointment. I could barely go to physical therapy because in my gut, I knew something was wrong.

McKenzie Smith (20:32)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Julie (20:33)
So decided that I was never ever gonna go back to that doctor again because after the round of physical therapy, after he decided I needed orthotics, I went back again. And the last time I went back to him, he said, well, look, you're just never gonna be able to walk barefoot again. And I was like, what? So.

That devastated me. was like, what do mean I'm never going to be able to walk barefoot again? This was supposed to be like a simple surgery. Now I have like the speed bump on the bottom of my foot and it's and why I know Mackenzie's laughing. Y'all wish you could see her in the video. That's the only way that's the only way I could describe it.

McKenzie Smith (21:18)
I just love that you say a speed bump that's funny to me for some reason.

Julie (21:23)
Yeah, it's like a, but you know exactly what I'm saying. Like a lump. Like every time I take a step, I feel like I'm going over this lump. And then the, and then the original ball on the side of my foot started like growing back. And I was like, okay, I have never ever stepping foot in this doctor's office again. Like I'm not coming back. So then months go by and I'm seeking everything I can think of.

McKenzie Smith (21:47)
Yeah.

Julie (21:53)
I went to a pain management specialist. was like, maybe this is just chronic pain. And so I'm going to the pain management specialist and it's like, okay, I have to go in here and take a drug test and all this. I'm like, okay, this is not what's going, nope, I'm out of here. So I'm just desperate at this point and almost a year has gone by. And so I know a friend of mine, she's a chiropractor and manages her own chiropractic business.

So I go see her and I'm like, listen, I need help. I don't know what's going on. Can you look at my foot? Like I'm desperate. Crying in her office. Like every time I go in there, I'm just crying. Like what's going on? What's happening? And so she's like, all right, listen, we are going to go into some intense working out. You got to strengthen this thing. You got to strengthen your cap, like everything. So one day I'm in her office and we are just working out.

and I was doing a lunge or something and I just raised my arm up and my shoulder pops out at her office. anyway, so I go, okay, so we leave her office. I immediately have to go to the emergency room. So not only is my foot killing me, but now my shoulders out. So I'm in the emergency room and they give you all kinds of pain medicine and pop my shoulder back in.

And even with all the pain medicine, I could still feel my foot hurting through all that. Now you're not supposed to feel anything when you're on these, whatever they give you at the hospital so they could pop your shoulder back in. So my shoulder popping out leads me going to back to the surgeon, the orthopedic surgeon that I had shoulder surgery on back in 2015.

So I did have an issue with my shoulder, but I had surgery on it and it wasn't ever supposed to pop out again, but that's a whole nother story. So I go back and I see him and I'm supposed to be seeing him about my shoulder and I just can't even, I'm in his office and I am just in tears. At this point, I don't even know how I'm making it work.

I actually don't, some days I don't even remember getting up and going to work. I have spent many, many weekends like in the bed crying, like one of the, know, it just decimated and devastated. And so I'm in his office, we're talking about my shoulder and at the end I say, listen, could you look at my foot?

I could tell on his face when he saw my foot, he was like, that's not right. So he's like, you need to see one of my fellow orthopedic foot surgeon. His name is Dr. Kent Ellington. You need to see him immediately. And like three or four days later, I had an appointment with a foot orthopedic.

And so I have this appointment and here I am. have to tell my story again. Everything leading up to this. So I'm in his office and I'm telling the story and he's like, well, what do you want me to do? I mean, that's what he says to me. What do you want me to do? And I looked at him and I don't know what came over me. I said, I want you to fix this. And he looked at me and he said, okay, this is what I need.

So he needed everything from my previous surgeon, everything I had ever done. He's like, I don't know what this podiatrist did in your foot, but I'm gonna do my best to fix it. So there we are at that point.

So I start doing like some investigating on this doctor, like everybody, start Googling my new surgeon. So I have to have total faith in this man because I mean, how many times do you want to have your foot cut open? Not even once. So I start researching the doctor and I find this podcast he's on. And I said, well, okay, I'll listen to the podcast.

So all the podcasts, I hear him talking about he's a man of faith. He believes in God. know, God is the one that led him to being an orthopedic surgeon. I mean, this guy is top notch. Like he's top. I mean, he's got like 18 patents on different things and on and on and on. And I'm like, this is my guy. If he's talking about he loves the Lord.

McKenzie Smith (26:48)
you

Julie (26:57)
and you know, he makes no bones about it and I need somebody, a man of faith who's going to be like in my foot because I am putting my life, I mean, it's intimate. I'm like, this man is getting ready to get real intimate with my foot and fix it. So all these series of events, so needless to say, October of 2022, he goes in, he fixes everything and then he's like, and now we wait.

And I'll be honest with you. I mean, he was just shaking his head like he had no clue. He said he'd never seen anything like this scar tissue, like beyond belief. had two golf ball size scar tissue, one on the bottom of my foot. That was my speed bump. And then the other one off the top of my foot. So y'all can get the gist of this story. So there's a reason for everything. And

During this time when I started getting down in the dumps at all these things, all of a sudden it was like everything around me I started seeing and it was like Jesus, God, church heaves. You know, I would go on YouTube and then all of a sudden churches would pop up in my algorithm. And I know that seems crazy. And I was like, well, this is all I got right now. I have just got to watch Elevation Church on YouTube and just pray.

that everything goes well and everything works out. So the first surgery went really well, but unfortunately, because of all the damage that was in my foot, I had nerve damage. So in October of 2022, he fixed everything with my tendon. And then in February of 2023, I had to have another foot surgery and I had to have part of a nerve removed in the side of my foot because it was just so damaged.

And Dr. Ken Ellington did that surgery again. And after that surgery, I went into like another depression. Like how many more surgeries am I going to have to have? It just, I just could not get out of the rhythm of having surgery, being off my foot for eight weeks, going back to physical therapy. So. March comes by, April comes by 2023.

And I go back to my surgeon and I say, look, I need something. I need something. I need to strengthen this. I know you have fixed it, but my foot is just like totally, like it's just so weak. I couldn't even do a calf raise. Like I just couldn't even lift my foot. That's how, just how weak I got. And he was like, all right, I'm going to refer you to this D1 athletic facility.

and you're going to work with a doctor of sports medicine and I'm going to text him right now. So he sends him a text. Next thing I know, I have an appointment and I'm going to like physical therapy with like all these athletes from college athletes to, you know, kids that are going to be, you know, leaving high school and going to college as a D one level athlete. And I'll work it out with Charlotte football players. I mean, it's just crazy.

And so guess what? My physical therapist is a man of faith. And he truly saved me. He truly did. Because once a surgeon's done with you, they have fixed you. Then you have to go to physical therapy and begin to fix yourself. Physically and mentally.

And one of the things that my physical therapist, Dr. Matt Tracy, helped me realize is that now I've had three traumas to my foot. Three major injuries because of the surgeries. And he considers surgery anytime you get cut open, it's an injury and you have to recover from that injury. So now I am removed. So I went to,

physical therapy with him for a little over eight months. That's how long it took. And that just got me to like a base level. And I continue to work out there to this day, with another trainer who works at the facility. And last summer, summer of 2024, I was able to hike for the first time since I went to the trail and tried to attempt the John Muir in 2021.

So I went three years without really being able to hike. And all along that journey, I gained weight, I got depressed. I used to make fun of people that said they were depressed, because I used to be like, well, what are you depressed for? I mean, get up, go to work, do what you gotta do. And I truly understand depression now. And...

laying in the bed, not even knowing really how to get out of the bed, like because your mind can't go beyond that point. And all of this led to really me coming back to my faith and to God, even though I know I'm a Christian. And but I had a period of all those years in the middle of really not following my faith. And now I hunger for that.

It's almost like I was over here dangling and I don't know. I don't know if I had to go through the trauma. Some people would say, yeah, you had to go through the trauma to come back, you know, to where you need to be with God. I don't know. What I do know is without God putting all of these men of faith in my life, I have no idea where I would be with my foot. No clue.

McKenzie Smith (33:00)
Yeah. Well, thank you for sharing. know we kind of jumped ahead a little bit into the valley. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, it's great. But just one, thank you so much for sharing and for walking us through that season and being open about your real thoughts and saying things like, you know, I used to.

Julie (33:06)
I'm sorry that was a long story everybody, I apologize.

McKenzie Smith (33:25)
think people were crazy if they said they were depressed and like I didn't know what that was until I actually went through it. think that those are valuable things for people to hear because I think sometimes we all think that. And so to hear someone actually vocalize that I think is really important. So going through this valley and

Having the thing that, you brought you close to the Lord and was, you know, kind of your main thing. Having that taken away and going through this experience, what are some of the things that you like really take away that you felt like God, you know, maybe pressed onto your heart in this season of going through this valley?

Julie (34:13)
think the number one thing is even going in the bottom of the valley, even when I was still down there, I literally had to just scream out for help. Like, and not be afraid to do it because I feel like for 20, 25 years, I was still trying to do things on my own, even though I know I'm not supposed to do that. I can do this. I could rise above this.

And this was something that I had to figure out. I'm not rising above that. I need help. And the only, the only help that's good to work is when I cry out and know that I need help. And the moment I did that, and it's, it really is good to sound cliche is two weeks later, that's when I dislocated my shoulder.

So prior to that, had cried out, I mean, like, God, just, whatever, whatever you need me to do. Like, you know, I was bargaining. We all do. If I get X, then I will do X. And I was just, I will do anything. But we all know that's not the way it works. I mean, God wants us to cry out to Him for help. That's what He's there for. And I just had to come to terms with that. And then when I did,

I don't know why my shoulder had to come out again, but the only thing I can say is it led me to going back to another orthopedic surgeon, which led me to finding the doctor that really fixed my foot, which led me to the physical therapist, which led me to ultimately right now here being with you is not being afraid to talk about

God not being afraid to tell people that I'm a Christian, that I have faith, and really ultimately led me to, you know, even talking about my faith on my own podcast. And to answer your question, going back to that, it led me to not being afraid to say I'm a Christian, not being afraid to talk about my faith.

And a whole other side story that I know begins here to start laughing all this is I also switched schools that I work at last year. And I had to get on my knees about that, too. I was not in a good situation. And I switched schools in October of 2023. And now I work around a bunch of people who talk about their faith.

I work with two ladies right next door to me in adjacent classrooms. One of them is actually, she is a pastor and on the other side of me, her husband is a pastor. So, mean, call it what you will, but I call it, there's nothing else to call it but God.

McKenzie Smith (37:27)
Yeah. Well, and I think what you're saying too is there's beautiful things that can only happen when you're surrounded by the church, you know, whenever you're surrounded by people that love the Lord and that are actively seeking to serve Him. And I think that God works a lot through people and through His people. And it sounds like that's exactly what He did in your life. And I think that's super special.

so talk to us a little bit about kind of status, not status quo, but where you're at now. And, you know, you said you gained weight, you were depressed, you were all these things like talk to us about maybe that transition back into where you are now.

Julie (38:14)
So at the beginning of 2024, and I should say I also had to realize that I'm no longer injured. So I felt like I dealt with this stigma like I had, I'm injured, that everybody could see it, but that's not really the case. So after I got over the fact that I'm not injured and I can move forward,

McKenzie Smith (38:23)
Okay.

Mm.

Julie (38:44)
In that depression that I was in, I gained weight. At last December of 2023, I went to go try some of my hiking clothes on and I mean, was, they just didn't fit. Well, that made me mad. And I was like, my God. I mean, I have gotten to the point where my hiking clothes don't even fit. what, you got to snap out of this sister. Like,

McKenzie Smith (39:06)
Thank

Julie (39:08)
And so I turned to another fellow podcaster of mine. His name is James Appleton and a fellow podcaster of yours. His podcast is the 46 of 46 podcast. It's all about the Adirondacks. Another fellow Christian believer. He is not afraid to talk about his belief on his show. And he has a coaching business and

For some reason, here we go again. The day that I tried all those hiking clothes, for some reason I saw a post from him and it said, I'm taking new clients for 2024. Pretty much you want to get your life together, lose weight, yada yada. And I was like, I'm in for that. So I started working with him as a coach, nutrition coach, strength coach. And that was January 1st that I started with him.

And where are we at? It's October 26th. Is that today? I've lost over 25 pounds and that is how J or that is how 2024 has been for me. I have no longer accepting that I'm injured. I could pretty much do whatever I put my mind to and I'm not done losing weight. for the year I wanted to lose 40 pounds, but it's not really

McKenzie Smith (40:10)
Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Heck yeah.

Julie (40:36)
It was never really about losing the weight. It was getting my mind right, getting a new system for myself and getting on track with following God and spending time with God on a daily basis. And 2024 is the first year I have done that in many, years where

I spend time praying. spend time. It's really been interesting how much I want to learn about the stories in the Bible that I grew up learning. So I don't think I really understood what I was learning when I was younger. What do they call them? The flannel graphs in your Sunday school class. You would have the story of the flood. You would have the story of

McKenzie Smith (41:31)
Thank

Julie (41:35)
you know, Moses and all the things. But I think I never really understood the meaning of everything. And now I just want to know more and more and more like I never it's almost like I never grew up in the church. And my faith is, I would say, stronger than ever. And I'm just hungry to learn.

and at 51 years old and somebody that grew up at the church, you know, I can't say I have shame about that. That's just how it's been in my life.

McKenzie Smith (42:05)
Yeah.

you

Yeah, I wrote down a couple different things as you were talking. I think that discipline is one of the most important things for us as believers. And a lot of times I think that people think like, I need to feel a certain way in order to do a certain thing. it's like, no, sometimes the discipline of just doing it creates.

that desire and that's, seems like what it was happened in your life. And now you have this hunger because that's what you've been feeding in your life. and through that, you've been able to change the mindset of feeling, you you said injured, but you know, just insufficient or I'm walking with a limp, you know, in, all areas of your life. and being able to change that. And I think that

Discipline is just such a core part of that. And so I want people to hear that. Another thing that I've noticed through your talk, through you talking is, you know, you just keep talking about these men of God in the story. And I think that not to go down a super long tangent, but I think that the men of God have really been, I'll say attacked in, I think, the last decade or so. And I think that

Men have, you know, kind of kind of stepped down a little bit from from some leadership and being open and vulnerable and sharing their faith and leading with integrity. And so for anybody listening, I just want to like encourage you if you're a man like we need you and you are important and like we need men of God showing up and doing the things that they're called to do.

And so they've played a big role in your life for their obedience in that. And so just for the men listening, if you're in a season where you know you need to step up, there might be somebody that's waiting on you that needs you.

Julie (44:21)
Yeah, yeah, 100 percent. It's, it's, you know, now that, you know, we look back or, you know, that you've pointed this out, it has been all men of God. I wasn't geared, and I'm not saying anything because I love, and one of the things I'm really craving of learning right now are all the awesome women in the Bible that Jesus used for all various types of things. I mean, there are some strong women in the Bible.

But like you said, in my story, I have been led to all men.

McKenzie Smith (44:52)
Heck yeah there are.

Yeah. Yeah. And I think the last thing I wrote down was just that your, your healing or the beginning of your healing took place in an unexpected way. You you said that you injured your shoulder shoulder, which seems like, man, another knockdown. But I think that's just such a beautiful picture of like,

our prayers sometimes get answered in the most unexpected ways. And so I think just never write off whatever's going on. you know, it might be an answered prayer, even though it doesn't look like it. And, you know, it was unfortunate that you had to go through another injury, but it was, you know, like you said, it happened so close to the time that you were just like, I need, I need help. And that was the means in which you got the help, which was

which is just crazy because I think so often we think in our mind we want prayers and we want them answered this way and so on and so forth. And so just being able to have the open mindset to be like, actually, you know, God's going to do whatever he's going to do and he's going to solve this however he can. And we can't put boundaries on that.

Julie (46:08)
Yeah.

I mean, if you could just visualize, I forgot about this part. for the listeners, know, I'd like to, visuals are always good. So I'm going to see my second foot doctor for the first time. I'm in a sling. Like I'm walking in, I mean.

McKenzie Smith (46:23)
That is funny to think about.

Julie (46:28)
It is, I'm in a sling and you know, here's the, yeah, it's like, wait a minute, lady, need to, yeah, you need, you're up on the third floor. Yeah, yeah. And the thing is, what's so interesting, and now that I think of it, he never asked me about my arm. I can't remember even having a conversation, that wasn't important to him. And,

McKenzie Smith (46:31)
He's probably like wrong office. I'm not a...

Second floor. Yeah.

Hmm

Interesting.

Yeah.

Julie (46:55)
Ironically enough, like going to get the foot surgery the day I went and got the surgery, I am telling them they can't move my arm in a certain way. And they're like, what? And I'm like, I can't go into it. I could no longer tell my story. Like that's a...

McKenzie Smith (47:13)
yeah, because they do all sorts of stuff with you whenever you're prepping for surgery.

Julie (47:16)
Yeah, they do. They were like, now we need to just stretch your arm out. I'm like, no dice.

McKenzie Smith (47:21)
Yeah. my goodness. What a, what a wild story. So for a listener who's listening that may be going through a similar season of having, you know, their, main thing taken away, they're struggling with a injury that just doesn't seem like it's getting, getting healed. what piece of advice or word of encouragement would you offer to that person?

Julie (47:24)
I know. Yeah.

I would say don't stop. Don't take no for an answer and keep going until you find the one that gives you the answer you need. If I would have stopped at by podiatrist who did by surgery the first time and him telling me, well, you need an orthotic and you're never going to walk barefoot again. I'm not going to lie. What I say, I am barefoot right now. I walk barefoot all the time and

God is the only one keeping me from walking back into his office barefoot.

I mean, we're human, right? We're human. And you know, don't stop, seek help and cry if you go to the doctor's office and cry if you have to, because that's the, that's the only thing that helped me. mean, being vulnerable, I hate being vulnerable. I don't like being in a vulnerable position. I don't like people, you know, other people having to speak for me, but you have to. And

McKenzie Smith (48:36)
Thank

Julie (49:01)
The key of this is don't stop, keep seeking help, keep asking questions. And if you lay in the bed for a day, fine, get up the next day.

McKenzie Smith (49:12)
Yeah, that's good. That's good. Well, Julie, thank you so much again for sharing and for just walking us through your journey. I know that this has been I've taken a few things out of this and I know that this is going to be helpful to somebody else. For someone listening who maybe wants to follow along with you or your podcast, where can they find more about you?

Julie (49:35)
Pretty much everything is Jester Section Hiker. So the podcast is Jester Section Hiker. My Instagram is Jester Section Hiker. And I do put the podcast and I have various other projects that I work on. And you can find that on my YouTube channel as well, just by going for Julie Gayheart.

McKenzie Smith (50:00)
Awesome. Well, thank you again so much. It's been an absolute pleasure and I've just loved this conversation. It's been so fun. I know I've had fun.

Julie (50:10)
Well, thank you, Mackenzie, and thank you for doing what you do. And I know this podcast is reaching lives as well.