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Health & Fitness

Day 1: "The Hill" – 99 Days To Go

Day one on my journey. I'm headed to World Youth Day in August, but more importantly, this is day one of giving you a window into my world.

Day 1 {T Minus 99}  March 2nd 2011

Today I am taken to the Mountain. Well, the Mission Peak trail, to be exact. As I begin my climb up the mountain, I begin to reflect on my journey ahead. Not just for today with a hiking pole in each hand but on the next 100 plus days. Today, I know I will not make it to the top of this hill. But soon, very soon, it is my goal. And in 100 days I will be in the old world taking on a different type of mountain.

As I top the first hill, I realize why this journey will be so tough for me. My ankle twists for the first time. Figures, I stepped wrong on the ankle that does not have a bolt holding it together. My other ankle, the left one, is my newest addition of metal inside my body. Surprisingly, it is not until I am almost at my car before the other replacements start to scream at me. But I am starting at the middle—on a trail in the middle of my journey. Let me back up.

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My name is Stanley Horyza. I was born in San Jose nearly 36 years ago. I have lived all my life out of a little town called Milpitas. People say that they wear many hats, and I, too, have quite the collection. To list them all now would only serve to bore you. But what matters to my post today is that I, first, am disabled, I am a husband, a father, a youth director and a Catholic. Today I begin a new journey on a path that I have been on for over a year. This path will lead me to Madrid, Spain, for an event known as World Youth Day.

All of this and more I will share soon, but today I will tell you about this my new beginning.

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As I have said, I am disabled. This is a hard word to use, because if you know me or meet me, you may never know. I walk around normally free of any cane or crutch and hardly a noticeable limp. But as they say, it is what is inside that counts. And for me it is what was originally missing. I am missing a very special part of the blood. The part that stops one from bleeding. The official name is Hemophilia A Factor VIII >1%. I will talk more on that later, but what you should know now is that this has caused me to need both my knees replaced and  more recently my left ankle to be partially fused.

So on this second day of March, I have decided that I need to start myself on the journey of getting back into shape. And this hill Mission Peak has played a part in that in the past. So today I am taking on the Mountain.

As I clear that first rise, the trail levels and dips, oh, such a relief. But then the real climb begins. Not a fourth of a mile up there is a gate. I am out of breath and gasping for air. Wow, I really am out of shape. I fight on, and a little while later, there is the first bench on the side of the trail. By this time sweat has been pouring down my face. I have had to remove my sunglasses because the sweat is dripping on the lenses. In my backpack I have a jacket (won’t need that) and a bottle of water, my keys, wallet, and my trusted “tech” (currently a Palm Pre, and a Galaxy Tab) I am glad they are in the bag. In each had I have a hiking pole to help me keep a grip and my balance.

I finally make it to the first bench and sit to look back at Milpitas and the bay on to San Jose, Santa Clara, all the way to San Mateo and back to Fremont. I sit on the bench, and it is here I decide I should tell my story. So I begin to take pictures:

This is a wonderful view.

And this is me.

After a few minutes and a few sips of water I rise. Turn up hill and begin the climb. This part is steeper and my mind starts to wander to the journey ahead, World Youth Day. Well, it is not a day—it is a whole experience. It officially runs from August 16th to August 21st. But I lead my group first to Rome. We leave SFO on August 10th just 99 days away. I turn a corner and the climb gets easier for a few steps. I breathe finally without gasping for air, the sweat slowing now. As I reach the second bench, I think well this wasn't too bad ...

Let me keep going a little further. But first a few pictures.

The view keeps getting better …

Oh yea and me …

So I continue on, and the climb again gets harder. My mind goes to where I have been to get this far along. In 2008 I took on the role of Youth Director at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Milpitas. I have been struggling to lead the youth, but I think that is how youth ministry always is. My first year was really rough. But it gave me time to look at what I thought might work for the youth in my parish. So my second year I finally had a plan. As the year started, it was announced that World Youth Day that was stared by Pope John Paul II and now continued by the new Pope Benedict XVI would be held in August 2011 in Madrid, Spain.

At first I thought, that is so far away both in time and distance. So it wasn’t until one of my young adults suggested that I lead the group there that I even considered the trip. I had my first meeting, and there was a lot of interest. In those first few months, we had 33 people signed up and paid registration to go. Oddly, the one who originally suggested I take the group backed out early on. Starting then, we began to fundraise to try and help pay for the enormous cost to send us to this event.

Wow, this hill is hard to climb, but look here is the third bench, and I now have my mind off the hill and am keeping a steady slow pace. It has been 45 minutes since I left my car below but a quick picture …

Wow, look at that …

Wow, look at me …

And back to the hill …

OK, this climb is getting harder. We started our fundraising with a carwash, and haven’t really slowed since. We have tried dances, dinners, lunches, parties, gift shops, grant letters, letters to friends and family and so may others—so far more than 20 events in all.

And yet we still have not raised all the money. So we have had to make large payments out of our own pockets. Since from my family, my wife and daughter will be joining me, we had to pay over six thousand dollars ourselves. I had to cash in my 401k and IRAs to do it. But, hey, I’m still young, right. (HA!) More on that for a later post. Wow, look the sun is setting …

Yep … Me with Milpitas behind me at sunset ...

Oh my, I have made it about halfway up this mountain. I really did not think I would make it this far … Well, what goes up must go down, and since the sun has, so should I. So I turn and down I go. One gingerly step at a time.

This weekend, John Paul II was beatified. This is a step on the way to sainthood. As a Catholic, many people misunderstand our belief in the saints. We don’t believe in them like we would a god, but we think that once they are a saint, they are somewhere with God. And so they might put in a good word for us. Catholics also have a special place for Mary, because she was Jesus’ mother, and who doesn’t listen to their mother. So if we can get her on our side—well, we work all angles and angels find … As I laugh at this, my knees start to shake … wow, I just turned around … I am not even to the highest bench … oh, this is going to be a long walk down.

I now have to focus … left foot there … move the pole … right foot there ... Move the other pole. Left foot … I look at my feet and remember that I am doing this because on the last day of the World Youth Day events, we will have to hike at least eight miles and sleep outside just to see the pope. And I cannot walk that far yet. I have a hard time standing for a long time.

Finally, after watching my feet and the trail, I see the bench … Don’t sit down don’t sit down … keep going. This trail is really steep. One foot, one pole, other foot, other pole. The pain is pretty bad already. I look up, and it is getting dark. Oh Lord, dumb handicapped me on this hill … I don’t think much till I get to the next bench. As I pass it, I look up to the sky with tears in my eyes. I see a single star, OK, could be a planet. I do as I did as a kid … “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight … Please get me off this hill safely… (why stop there I’m talking out loud to a light in the sky) and give me the strength to be a good husband, father and leader and give me the strength of body to complete my journey through Madrid (oh, and home) and beyond (why not ask for a little divine help instead of just this star). I ask this with the intercession of Blessed John Paul The Great (hey, a little flattery never hurt), Mary ever virgin (yo momma!) all the angels and saints (I’m on a roll) to pray for me to the Lord our God (nice ending … my training is paying off …).”

OK, stop looking at the stars, my feet are still moving. The funny thing is I can now only see a slight glow from the path and the lights of the cities below have come on. Wow, it looks like fireworks. And that star is so bright, I can’t take my eyes off the lights. Hey, I passed the bench … I only notice because I pass two lovers sitting on the side of the trail and think there is a bench for that somewhere … wow, back over there … My pace picks up. I watch the other stars come out. I am to the gate … not far now … Wow did that prayer really help? I doubt it, but you know what it did do … It got me to stop thinking about my pain and keep going. The trail finally rises, and I am for the first time in over 40 minutes going up hill … Oh, that feels good. Well, not far now ... well back to my car … but I have a long way to go … but I feel better about myself. I was not able to make it to the peak. But I didn’t think I would. But I did make it much further than I thought I would. Hey, I was aiming for the second bench, really. So I did darn good … OUCH, my knee just gave out!!! And I twisted my other ankle trying to save myself from falling. Good thing I have these poles, or I would be on the ground!

OK take a breath … Harden your resolve! And one, two, three ... keep going … ouch! One, ouch, two, ouc,h three … Ahh! My car is just over that hill … Lord! John Paul! Heck, anyone! Nope … it is my journey … the star is still bright but each step hurts. I started counting them … when I got to sixty steps, I realized that all I am doing is focusing on the pain. So as my eyes well up, I look back up at that star and keep going. I get back to my car parked in the handicapped spot (feels dumb parking there at a hiking trail) and fall into the driver's seat.

Two and a half hours later ... I made it … I will make it … and I hope to share more of my journey with you as I go … but for now … I have made it home safely. I can’t say if it was the Lord, John Paul, or purely my one stubbornness that got me here … but I do know, I will keep going …

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