In 2016, my family and I traveled to Vietnam for two weeks. We traveled north to south and experienced the magic of Southeast Asia. We went on a guided trip with Intrepid Travel (highly recommended) with a few other families from around the world. On that trip I met Ed Partridge, a physician from the Island of Guernsey (30 miles off the coast of France). Ed had just finished completing the Marathon Des Sables and I was captivated. The MDS had been an adventure I had only heard about and was captivated by, but Ed was the first person I met who had ever completed it. The match was lit.
Fast forward 8 years and I’m preparing for the 39th Marathon Des Sables in Morocco. I signed up in June 2024 as I pondered my life at 50 (not a mid-life crisis — seriously) and acknowledged there is never a good time to sign up for a 12-day trip that includes 6 days of cross Sahara running over 250KM through the desert. If I’m going to go for it, I’m doing it now. So I put down the credit card (it’s expensive so you have to want it) and locked in. With about four months to go, I’m getting energy thinking about being in the desert and experiencing this once in a lifetime moment.
What makes the MDS so complex is that aside from the distance, runners are required to carry their own gear. The race supplies the water and shelter, but all the food, equipment and clothing is on your back the whole time. That makes the event more than just a “gut it out” run. It makes it a complex equation to manage oneself holistically over the journey. There is no silver bullet to getting to the finish. It is a journey of well planned increments that typically doesn’t go according to plan.
The MDS is a journey in resilience, grit, suffering, joy, frustration, and challenge. So too are the many issues that we face around major societal challenges like education, homelessness, and healthcare. Because the MDS is a pretty visible global event, I decided to mark it with a purpose bigger than myself. I’m excited to share that I’m going to use the MDS to raise awareness for Plymouth Housing, an organization that will eliminate chronic homelessness in Seattle.
Today, Plymouth Housing provides permanent housing for over 1,600 adults in the greater Seattle area across 16 residences. With a “housing first” philosophy, Plymouth provides individuals with a safe place to call home and then supports them with services to rebuild their lives. Without the safety of a home, it is nearly impossible to adequately address physical and mental challenges. I was honored to learn about Plymouth back in 2023 when asked to participate in its signature fundraising event, Seattle Dances (A Seattle version of Dances with the Stars). I used the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone to help raise over $1.6MM to further Plymouth’s mission.
Seattle Dances 2023
Now I want to level up for Plymouth Housing and I’m going to fuse it with my passion for endurance events. Running across the desert is NOT on any level what Plymouth Housing is trying to solve. Their challenge is persistent and consequential. However, any endurance circumstance takes planning, incurs suffering, requires a clear head, and demands a belief that you can achieve your goal. I am excited to further Plymouth’s mission through my MDS participation.
Thank you in advance for being interested in my MDS endurance journey and how you can help Plymouth Housing provide more permanent housing for those facing chronic homelessness in our region in Seattle. I’m going to journal my journey in this post and welcome your support along the way.