Super Support Crew

Last night we had a celebration for completing the Trailwalker. It was a much deserved night out on the town!! We especially wanted to say a big thanks to these two ladies. There were a lot of people that showed up for support crew. I think there were between 20 and 30 people who showed up to support a team. None of us would have made it without them!!

These girls went above and beyond to support not just one team, but all the Shizuoka teachers that did the walk. They prepared tons of food for everyone - pasta salads, chicken and tuna salad, cheese dip, hummus, cut up veggies, cheeses, made cookies and muffins and sweets, bought us Red Bull and snickers and replenishing drinks and jellies. They drove other support crew around, let us sleep with our sweaty and muddy bodies on their pillows and blankets, and ran around to get things for us so we could finally rest at checkpoints.

This is Laura! She spent her birthday slaving away for all the hikers, even bringing international snacks for the Brits :) When we crossed the finish line Laura was the first one who tackled me with a hug -- it really meant a lot to me! I know you wanted the girls to finish more than anyone else, so I'm glad I didn't let you down!!

This is Nicole, one of my Japan besties. At times I felt like she was my personal support crew!! Thanks for the endless trips to your car, the calf massage, and the encouragement when I needed it most. "Today I'm grateful for you!" Love you hun!

I don't feel like a simple blog entry or words can fully express how grateful I was for these two ladies during the walk. They both sacrificed a lot to help the hikers, which indirectly helped a lot of people in need. We couldn't have finished without them and we wouldn't have raised as much money had we not finished. Thank you so much ladies!!! I love you both and am going to miss you dearly when I leave Japan!!