Help Us Experience the Accessible Camino de Santiago!

Hi everyone! I am incredibly honored to share that my best friend, Sophia, and I have been selected to participate in a wheelchair-accessible Camino de Santiago pilgrimage with I’ll Push You, an organization dedicated to making the Camino possible for people of all abilities (for more information on the trip: https://www.accessiblecamino.com/2026).

As someone with a rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy, Justin and Patrick's story from the I'll Push You documentary resonated with me (Angela) deeply. When I first saw the documentary in 2017 with a MDA sponsored premiere, I knew I had to complete the Camino for myself one day and that my rare muscle disease was not going to stop me. But, with a disability, sometimes you need to be vulnerable and receive help from others to experience the beauty and adventure life has to offer.

Vulnerability is something that I used to struggle with for years. As a young woman with a rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy, being independent seemed more important than being vulnerable and accepting help from others. There are many things I am not able to do on my own. Because of this, I had the tendency to take pride in every ounce of independence I had and didn’t want to receive help from others.

Over the years though, I learned that I have had to let others carry me (literally by carrying me up and down stairs) and let them be close to me in order to experience wonderful places and adventures that are not always perfectly accessible. I have had to be physically and emotionally vulnerable in order to receive authentic and sacrificial love. This shows just how much power there is in human relationships and letting others help you. Learning to let others help me has taken great courage, humility, and vulnerability. The beauty of vulnerability means that no one is able to handle life alone, and that everyone, no matter their ability, has something to offer: authentic human relationship and love.

In our friendship over the years, Sophia and I have learned to carry each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now by taking on the challenge of this pilgrimage, we hope to continue this practice of vulnerability, trust, and sacrificial love. We will carry our unique stories, our prayers, our joys, our suffering, and our hopes on this camino.

We’re fundraising to help cover the costs of travel, accessibility equipment, accommodations, and program fees that make this pilgrimage possible. Your support helps us live out the spiritual heart of the Camino: community, service, and the reminder that God meets us where we are, especially in our areas of weakness.

Thank you for believing in us, for praying for us, and for helping us take part in something truly once-in-a-lifetime. We can’t wait to carry your intentions with us on the trail. To the heights!

With gratitude,

Angela and Sophia