GRIT was fortunate sufficient to take a seat down with Rosita C., who lately rode her GRIT Freedom Chair—alongside Justin Skeesuck, Patrick Grey, and different individuals of Accessible Camino—throughout the ultimate 100 kilometers of El Camino. Rosita found Accessible Camino throughout an especially troublesome time in her life, which she met head-on by prioritizing the pursuit of significant recollections together with her household. All through the hike, Rosita grew nearer to her daughter (her main pusher!) and skilled an journey stuffed with non secular and private development. Learn on to be taught extra about her planning, her journey, her time on El Camino itself, and the place she’ll be headed subsequent!

GRIT: How did you first hear about El Camino?

Rosita: I stumbled throughout the film “The Means” with Emilio Estevez and Martin Sheen. It’s a tremendous film, and I occurred to be going via a tough private time—a divorce. I used to be additionally on my first spherical of most cancers therapy and thought, “My God, that may be so cool to do.”

I acquired divorced, the most cancers went away, life acquired in the best way, after which I acquired re-diagnosed. I’ve metastatic breast most cancers that metastasized to my pelvis. I misplaced all my mobility for a few 12 months and needed to enterprise into the entire world of immobility—wheelchairs, crutches, the entire thing.

Quick ahead a number of years. I regained some mobility. I might get round day by day utilizing a crutch and if I deliberate to go to festivals, I’d use a customized, foldable wheelchair that’s straightforward for me to cart round.

Round that point, I acquired my terminal prognosis. As soon as I heard that, I believed, “I’m not gonna sit round and watch for this crap to kill me.” It grew to become all about making recollections at that time. I like to journey. I want I had gotten the journey bug years in the past, and I ended up going to Germany and Italy in 2019. Then, final 12 months, I went to Copenhagen and Eire with my youngsters.

After we returned from Eire, my youngsters and I requested one another, “What do you wish to do subsequent 12 months?” We selected Spain or Portugal. There are Fb teams which can be nice for info, and anytime you go close to Spain, the Camino all the time comes up. 4 days into my analysis, I noticed a man in a wheelchair doing the Camino and messaged him instantly.

He didn’t reply, however I did discover a group known as Accessible Camino, led by Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Grey. I checked their web site, they usually have been taking purposes for his or her 2024 journey. So we utilized and acquired a response from Justin’s group. My daughter and I had an interview with them in late October. We defined my scenario, and proper earlier than Thanksgiving, we acquired an electronic mail saying, “You’re going to Spain.”

GRIT: Superior! When did you begin to analysis the provides and tools you would possibly want for this journey? 

Rosita: I began researching immediately how to do that journey. GRIT was the very first thing that got here up, together with the Freewheel. I made a decision to go together with the GRIT chair. I did a GoFundMe, and my very beneficiant family and friends helped out. I obtained my chair about seven weeks earlier than the journey and began maneuvering round in it to get extra acquainted.

GRIT: What did you do throughout these seven weeks to coach? 

Rosita: I known as GRIT to seek out out if there was an envoy close to me. They instructed me about a spot within the North Carolina mountains known as Waypoint Journey. Waypoint organizes mountaineering journeys for handicapped individuals. I met with one of many program administrators, who gave me an excellent detailed tutorial on how you can use the chair.

We took it aside and put it again collectively. He spent two hours with me. We videotaped the whole lot. Then I attempted the GRIT chair on some trails.

GRIT: Waypoint Journey is such an outstanding group. I’m so glad you bought to attach with them. What else did you do to arrange for the massive journey to Spain?

Rosita: I skilled arduous as a result of I knew my arms could be my greatest useful resource. For an previous woman, I did a whole lot of weight work. I didn’t do a whole lot of off-roading earlier than the journey, however I did a whole lot of arm-strengthening workouts. I’m proud to say my arms have been by no means a difficulty. I made it the entire means.

GRIT: I like that! Did you do any coaching with the individuals who could be pushing or aiding you on El Camino?

Rosita: My daughter was my important pusher. We went out a number of instances earlier than the journey and did hills so she might get an concept of what it will be prefer to push me. However we didn’t encounter any terrain like what we confronted on the Camino. Principally, we simply did a few miles at a time together with her doing the entire pushing.

GRIT: If you have been lastly on El Camino, did you end up wishing you had performed one thing else to arrange?

Rosita: I hadn’t used straps or something when using the GRIT chair, which is the one factor I want I had ready for forward of time. I watched previous movies of “I’ll Push You” journeys to see what individuals did. I acquired some strapping and carabiners and discovered how you can connect them to the GRIT chair.

On the path, individuals pulled me like I used to be in a canine sled. I might do it in a different way subsequent time. I saved the GRIT Steering Pegs with me as a result of they made issues simpler. One other woman, Karen, acquired her chair from GRIT and confirmed me how she did her straps. I’ll most likely do it like she did sooner or later.

GRIT: Did you and Karen spend a whole lot of time collectively on the journey?

Rosita: We realized quite a bit from one another. We did 117 kilometers in six days. The primary two days have been 14 miles every. The least quantity of miles we did in sooner or later was 9 and a half to 10.

GRIT: Are you able to share a bit about what these days seemed like? When did your alarm go off every morning? What occurred then?

Rosita: I’ll Push You” organized the journeys so that there have been 9 of us who have been handicapped ultimately. I used to be most likely essentially the most able-bodied individual in a chair. We had two or three individuals who couldn’t get out of their chairs.

We have been off the bed at 6:30 each morning and at breakfast by 7:10AM. The bus would take the entire handicapped individuals and wheelchairs to the beginning level, and we have been often on the path by about 9:00AM or 9:15AM on daily basis.  We might do our mileage for the day, after which the bus would choose us up and take us again to the resort. On the lengthy days, we went from 9:00 within the morning till 6:30 at evening. That’s the way it labored. It was wonderful.

Rosita: They have been lengthy days with plenty of stops. There have been albergues each couple of miles that vacationers would use for showers and sleep. By 10:30AM, we have been having our first breakfast with espresso and Spanish tortillas. We all the time had a giant lunch round 1:00 or 2:00PM, once we’d wait for everybody to catch up earlier than persevering with. We had guides with us who would say, “There are solely two extra kilometers,” however it will truly be three or extra…all uphill. That was the routine for six days.

GRIT: Was there a specific day that was tougher than the others?

Rosita: Day one was arduous as a result of I didn’t know what to anticipate. Folks saved asking how they might assist, however I didn’t know as a result of I had by no means performed it earlier than. Day two was essentially the most arduous. We had maps of the terrain, and the primary three days have been largely uphill. I pumped nearly your complete morning. By the lunch cease, my arms have been fantastic, however my pelvis was in discomfort. I needed to take ache remedy and muscle relaxers, nevertheless it acquired simpler after the fourth day. The sixth day was the best as a result of we entered Santiago de Compostela, the place the Camino ends, and it was largely pavement for the final two kilometers.

It acquired simpler every day as a result of we knew how you can work the chair. The coordinators, Justin and Patrick, didn’t inform us a lot as a result of they needed us to expertise it ourselves.

The climate was comparatively good the entire time—no rain, nevertheless it acquired chilly on Saturday and Sunday. Sitting in a chair, even when pumping, it was chilly going via shaded trails. It was gorgeous terrain, actually.

GRIT: Are you able to share a bit about what it was like working with so many different individuals on the hike?

Rosita: After the primary day, I used to be overwhelmed as a result of 9 of us have been handicapped, and about 35 different individuals have been aiding. We switched so individuals had completely different experiences every day. You’d meet up with one group right this moment and get together with everybody, however you’d find yourself gravitating towards sure individuals. After we noticed an incline, we’d determine if we might push it or if we wanted the straps. If it was flat, we’d roll up the straps and put them within the backpack. But when it was severely downhill, you’d must be restrained.

We had some pavement areas the place I might simply take off and cruise down the hill. There was one other man in an everyday wheelchair pulling wheelies down hills! We had a number of races on flat surfaces, and by the third day, everybody had expertise with pushing or pulling–they only needed to find out how I needed to make use of my straps and what I used to be snug with. Nobody was snug with me taking off like that down the hill. It was enjoyable, although. I walked about half a mile a day to get out of the chair as a result of I might, however I attempted to not do it an excessive amount of out of respect for individuals who couldn’t get out of their chairs. By the third or fourth day, everybody had a rhythm.

On the third day, there have been about 4 kilometers of flat gravel. I used to be with a gentleman, Charlie, from Australia, who’s a retired detective. He was doing burpees on the facet of the path to remain match.

GRIT: Wow!

Rosita: Yeah, it was loopy. Charlie was pushing me that day, and we acquired onto a straightaway. He requested if I used to be as much as run it, I mentioned sure, and he ran whereas I pumped. We averaged about an eight-and-a-half-minute mile. It was considered one of my greatest recollections as a result of we acquired to the bar earlier than everybody else and waited for them to catch up.

We have been a few miles forward and waited 45 minutes for the primary individual to catch as much as us.

GRIT: Haha, you and Charlie have been flying! Would the group usually break off into smaller teams like this, or did you do a lot of the hike as a giant group?

Rosita: Typically you have been round individuals, however different instances it was simply your group. We didn’t all the time know the place everybody else was till lunch. We’d begin collectively and finish collectively, however generally we have been 1 / 4 mile to half a mile in entrance or behind somebody.

GRIT: I heard via the grapevine that you just acquired a flat tire on day two, proper? What occurred?

Rosita: Sure! I didn’t discover it instantly, however I might really feel the wheel wasn’t as arduous correctly. I went to a motorbike store alongside the route. The bike store man changed the tubes–he mentioned there have been no holes, so it may need been the valve jostling misplaced on the aircraft. After that, I had no extra points for the remainder of the journey.

GRIT: Good! Superior that the bike store had the whole lot you wanted. Did you additionally journey with a device package for any on-trail repairs?

Rosita: By the fourth day, individuals in all types of chairs have been getting flat tires and wanted pumps. I had introduced a very good hand pump, which others used. I introduced extra provides than I wanted, however seeing what occurred to different individuals’s bikes, I used to be glad I had the whole lot simply in case.

GRIT: In conversations with others who’ve hiked El Camino, many point out a non secular side of the journey. Was that a part of your expertise, or was it extra in regards to the bodily problem and time with your loved ones?

Rosita: Initially, it was about therapeutic and discovering peace after a tough couple of years. As soon as I grew to become handicapped, it grew to become a mix of the bodily problem and the necessity for a change of setting. I’m a non secular individual, not spiritual, nevertheless it turned out to be an extremely non secular journey. The constructive vitality from everybody was overwhelming. We celebrated our accomplishments collectively–like crossing a stone bridge, which was an enormous problem. It was a joyous time, working collectively for a similar purpose.

GRIT: Unbelievable. How was it doing all of this along with your daughter?

Rosita: It was wonderful. She wasn’t with me on daily basis because the entire level was to satisfy completely different individuals, however we bonded quite a bit. She related with a child who had cerebral palsy, and it was nice to see her in a brand new gentle. She’s a traveler and a hiker, and this expertise was actually helpful for her, too.

GRIT: If you’re not coaching for a 100-kilometer journey throughout Spain, do you and your daughter work out collectively typically?

Rosita: Sure. She’s 27, an grownup, and lives about 18 miles from me. She has a full-time job and a lifetime of her personal. She goes mountaineering on her personal, however I see us doing extra issues collectively now that I’ve the aptitude. I used to be lively earlier than dropping my mobility, however then the whole lot went on maintain. The primary 12 months after I used to be recognized was powerful, particularly with COVID. Then I made a decision to journey and got here throughout this chance. Now, I hope to do that journey once more subsequent June, perhaps on the Portuguese Means.

GRIT: How did you deal with touring with the wheelchair and different tools?

Rosita: It was tense. Justin mentioned airways would change the chair in the event that they destroyed it. Finally, I wrapped the chair components in a bag, and took photos, and it arrived with no points. Now that I’ve performed the journey as soon as, I might most likely do the identical factor once more. It was tense, nevertheless it labored out.

GRIT: Improbable.

Rosita: I’m planning to go mountaineering in North Carolina this Friday. I’ll simply take one interior tube and my pump. For the Camino, I used to be well-equipped, however for this hike, I’ll hold it minimal.