ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- A beautiful vista or a crashing waterfall is often the reward sought by hikers, but Shannon Allen undertook a recent hike to grant a wish for a child.
Allen, the National Environmental Policy Act, Natural and Cultural Resources planner for Arnold Air Force Base, and hundreds of others trained for months to be able to complete the Make-A-Wish Foundation Alabama Trailblaze Challenge, a 26.3-mile hike on the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama in a single day. As part of the challenge, hikers commit to raising a minimum of $2,500 to be able to guarantee a wish for a child.
As a cancer survivor, Allen can attest to the spirit-lifting power of having a dream fulfilled during a difficult time. She and her husband took a trip to the West Coast after her surgery to remove breast cancer before undergoing the rest of her treatment.
“I only had short stays in the hospital, but so many doctor and treatment appointments I can’t count them,” Allen said. “It just fills up your life. Anything to break the monotony is a welcome distraction, even just for a little while. Some of these children are in the hospital for years! I think granting them their special wish can make a huge difference in their treatment success and their happiness.”
Just like a granted wish for a child can also lift the spirits of their parents, Allen said it benefited her husband as well.
“We were both so stressed out after my breast cancer diagnosis, with the uncertainly behind treatment success and just the physical pain of surgery and treatment,” she said. “Even though the trip was my idea to help me mentally prepare for treatment, he was happy for the escape from reality. He also is a wildlife biologist, so seeing new plants and animals was just as much a treat for him as it was for me.”
Allen and a couple of friends she met while pursuing a master’s degree learned about the challenge through Facebook a few years ago, but at the time, the length of the hike and training schedule seemed daunting.
“Those of us with young children thought it would be better to wait a few years so that we would have enough time to train and ensure a successful hike,” Allen said. “Our kids are old enough now that we have been able to adequately train this spring and have often included them on our hikes.”
The Make-A-Wish Foundation Alabama Trailblaze Challenge program provides a months-long training program of hikes on trails in Alabama to help participants with novice to advanced skill levels succeed in completing the hike. Some other Make-A-Wish chapters also hold Trailblaze Challenge events of varying lengths.
Hiking is nothing new to Allen. She started hiking as a child, is a former trail runner and has spent many days in the woods as a wildlife biologist.
“I love the solitude, the unexpectedness, the exercise and not being inside at my desk,” Allen said.
To prepare for the challenge hike, Allen increased the length and frequency of her hikes. Her training included a hike of the University of the South Perimeter Trail, a 20-mile loop. She completed that hike in 7.5 hours.
Allen completed the challenge with her two friends, who are also wildlife biologists.
“Getting together has always been difficult since we are so spread out, but we have been hiking together for 15 years and are familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Allen said. “We also keep each other laughing - essential on this long hike.”