In endurance sports, “hitting the wall” or “bonking” means your muscles begin to rapidly shut down, going from feeling great to feeling like you’re going to collapse. It is very painful. Internally, your brain sounds the alarm to stop and rest. Kaden’s options were to throw in the towel and be medically evacuated from the course—an option chosen by a significant portion of racers that day—or push his physical and mental limits, one step at a time, to reach the finish line and successfully complete this leg of the Trifecta Challenge.

Both Kaden and Chad are veteran adventure racers. They understand that our bodies are far more capable than the limits our minds try to establish to protect us. Encouraging his son to continue, Chad put his arm across Kaden’s shoulder and said, “Slow and steady—we are going to cross the finish line together.” I was thrilled and inspired to witness the determination in their eyes as they continued down the course to face the next obstacle.