"Walking the Gobi," A Fascinating Portrait of a Land, Its People, and the Power of Human Determination

Helen Thayer was 64 years-old when she and her husband Bill set out to walk 1,600 miles across the Mongolian Gobi Desert in the middle of summer. He was 74. They battled scorching 126-degree heat, ferocious sand storms, deadly scorpions, dehydration, and dangerous drug smugglers.

With no support team, sponsors, or radio contact, theirs is a story of pure adventure. Traversing the hostile Mongolia-China border, leading two charismatic camels named Tom and Jerry, the Thayers could not have imagine the magnitude of the beauty they would encounter on their epic journey.

Helen was no stranger to hostile natural environments. At the age of 50, she became the first woman to solo trek to the magnetic North Pole, pulling her own sled without resupply. Born in New Zealand, she has become a world-reknowned explorer and motivational speaker.

Twice she has kayaked 2,200 miles in the Amazon. She walked 4,000 miles along an ancient trade route in the Sahara. She has lived alogside and studied the Canadian wild wolves of the polar sea and has been named “One of the Great Explorers of the 20th Century” by National Geographic Society and NPR.

Despite her long list of accomplishments, there had always been one dream Helen never gave up on. When she was in grade school, her teacher fascinated her with stories of the Gobi. She imagined the rugged bueaty of the land and its people. Instantly, she knew she had to go there.

That she held on to that dream for so long speaks to her determination and indomitable spirit. Just a year before their scheduled trek, Helen was involved in a serious car accident. The doctors told her she might never walk again. But, this did not stop her. Still recovering from her injuries, she set out to realize her goal of crossing the desert on foot.

"Walking the Gobi" is an absorbing book. It works on a couple of different levels. On the one hand, it is a wonderful introduction to the cultures of the Gobi. In the fashion of all good travel writing, Helen's observations of the land and the people who inhabit it are insightful; they instill within the reader a deep sense of appreciation for the power of the natural elements.

She does not condescend or pretend to fully understand the ways of the desert or its nomadic peoples. Rather, she approaches her subject matter with a genuine sense of awe and interest. Her prose is clear and precise, but still infused with passion. Readers sense in her a great, wise old teacher.

The book also works as an example of human determination. Here is a woman who has defied preconcived limits of age and physical endurance. She also defied what is traditionally expected of her gender - border patrol authorities in Mongolia were frequently hesitant to deal with a woman and rape was a major concern if she was impriosned for crossing ilegally into China. But, Helen Thayer accomplished her lifelong dream and now we are givin a fascinating glimpse of a land and people we know little about.

Courage in the Face of Adversity: The Story of America's First Openly Gay High School Track Coach

I received the following book review from a friend. It sounds like a great read.

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Eric Anderson knows the meaning of the word courage. In 1993, at the age of 25, he came out to his high school track team and the community of Huntington Beach High School in Orange County, California. In doing so, he became the first openly gay high school coach in America. His book, "Trailblazing," chronicles the often painful and devastating ordeals he faced in coming out. It's a remarkable story about courage in the face of adversity.

Coming out is a affirmative act of self-proclamation. It's a conscious step towards living life on one's own terms. When someone come's out of the closet, they are saying to a heteronormative and homophobic society, "I am here and I am not ashamed of who I am." Gay and lesbian men and women need to come out if they hope to achieve a higher level of personal and spiritual fulfillment. This is important to remember when reading Anderson's story.

Before he came out, he was plagued with headaches. The stress of keeping his secret hidden caused him severe migraines and ulcers. He worried constantly that friends and family members might perceive him as gay. Some straight people might not understand this. Social norms allow them to express their sexuality freely without fear of backlash. Gay people don't always have this luxury.

Sometimes coming out can mean being socially ostracized, getting fired from your job, being teased and made fun of, and in some cases, even killed. Imagine for a moment the pain and anguish of having to conceal something so innate and fundamental as your own sexuality - having to be constantly aware of who you look at, how you look at them, what you say, and the way you say it.

Anderson knew he would face backlash. But, he came out for a couple of reasons: first, he couldn't continue to live a lie, and second, he wanted to help closeted students not feel so alone.

It is touching that those who supported and stood by him most were his track team members. They accepted the news of his homosexuality as a non-issue, and thus, they had the most mature reaction out of anyone in the community. Even the parents of his students stood by him.

But, in the homophobic world of high school athletics, Anderson's happiness was short-lived. People keyed his car. Students tagged the word "faggot" on his team's bus. They harassed and bullied his straight team members for being on the "gay team." On one occasion they even assaulted and broke the jaw of a team member. All the while, the school administrators turned a blind eye to these injustices. It's telling that before allowing a new member to join his team, Anderson had to make sure to warn the prospective runner and his parents that daily harassment was almost inevitable.

"Trailblazing" is a thrilling and inspiring book and one of the best running books ever written, not least because it's more about courage than it is about running. Eric Anderson led his team to victory on the track, but their real victory was off the track. They proved that courage, friendship, intelligence, and humor can overcome hatred.

We are all a hero to someone

In real life, no one ever sets out to become a hero. Certainly, the world is filled with men and women who could be described as heroic. But, no one ever says to themselves, “that’s what I want to be!”

Comic books and movies teach us that heroism arises from great acts of gallantry, daring feats of strength that can change the world. Needless to say, real life heroism seldom resembles this mythology. The caped and masked figures that populate our fantasies are, if nothing else, merely indicative of the feelings that heroes inspire within us.

Heroes make us feel good about ourselves. They make us believe in the power of the human spirit to overcome the greatest of obstacles. We revere and admire heroes, and rightfully so: they do what takes courage. Strength, both physical and metaphysical-spiritual, becomes a sought-after trait.

Anyone can be a hero. Our communities are filled with people who are doing extraordinary things with their lives. We don’t read books about them and we don’t see them in the news. Their acts come from a place of pure selflessness. They are not doing things to become famous or to make money; they don’t seek attention.

Prior to writing this, I asked some of my friends who they consider to be their heroes. The responses I got were quite telling: mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and grandparents. Next-door neighbors, priests, military men and women, teachers, coaches, students, firefighters, and police officers. Ordinary people. These are the real life heroes we look up to.

What do we see in these people that’s worth admiring? I submit that it is altruism. It’s the willingness to do good for others and for society despite personal hardship or pain. These people make a difference in the world with their small, but powerful acts of kindness, mercy, and compassion. They make us see the good in humanity and they inspire hope for a better tomorrow.

On January 18, 2011, my friend and personal hero, Balei Chinski, passed away from a burst brain aneurysm. She was in a coma for five days. She spent 47 days in ICU and had 5 brain operations. She was only 16 years-old. But, Balei will never be forgotten. Those who knew her and who heard her story were empowered by her courage in the face of suffering and death. Her strength could move mountains.

Take the time to look around and acknowledge the heroes around you. They are out there. And they are changing your world. Take an interest in their stories. Listen to their motivations. You may just be inspired to head out and perform your own act of goodwill for the betterment of society.

The Quiet Determination of True Commitment

"If there's magic in boxing, it's the magic of fighting battles beyond endurance, beyond cracked ribs, ruptured kidneys and detached retinas. It's the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you." -Clint Eastwood as Eddie Dupris, "Million Dollar Baby" (2004)

What does it mean to be determined? When we think of a goal - whether it's running a marathon or losing a bit of weight - we tend to think of the payoff first. We visualize ourselves crossing that glorious finish line or finally slipping into that sexy two-piece bikini and heading to the beach. Our minds become set on the glory of success. And that is fine. It's good - necessary even - to envision the accomplishment. But, it takes more than wishful thinking to attain any worthwhile dream. Hard work and determination are the paths to realization.

So what does commitment look like? In movies, we see heroes fearlessly charging into war, teeth bared and muscles bulging, the volume of the soundtrack cranked up to a frenzied intensity. Or we see the captain of the high school football team valiantly taking his team to the championship game, crowds cheering on the final dramatic clash of competitors. By Hollywood standards, commitment is a dramatic grit-your-teeth-and-bear-it kind of showdown where true endurance is forged in fires of battle.

But, real commitment is not nearly as loud as all that. Real commitment is silent. It is not attention-seeking nor is it boastful. It does not put on a show for the world to see. That's why I love the movie "Million Dollar Baby." The main character, a female fighter named Maggie, is an underdog in many ways. She comes from a poor background. Her mother a selfish and ignorant woman. Maggie dreams of becoming a professional boxer. She is willing to work hard to make this happen.

There is a wonderful montage in the movie where Maggie shows up to a run down little gym and practices her moves on a punching bag late into the night. It is a quiet scene. It gives you a sense of the depth of the commitment of this athlete. Here is a woman who is determined to make something of herself. There is nothing showy or ostentatious about her.

Ever notice how, in a gym weight room, the lifters who grunt and snarl loudest through a workout tend to have the worst form? The dramatics they put on are all show. The quiet determination that characterizes the truly committed rarely goes noticed in our society. That level of diligence is to be commended because it takes courage and a certain depth of the soul. The people who have it are the true heroes. They are the ones who get the biggest payoffs.