Please help us to raise money for an amazing young Navajo woman. Tristin Natay grew up in Chinle, AZ adjacent to the most spiritual Navajo land, Canyon de Chelly. She is currently pursuing a Physical Science bachelor’s degree at the University of Northern Arizona with the goal to bring her Physical Therapy skills back to her hometown community of Chinle within the Navajo Nation. We truly appreciate your donation to this very special cause. The story below outlines the story of how this incredible journey came together.

How did we get here?

Nichole Brickett, Lindsey Iman, and Liz Hafer are grateful to have made special arrangements with Navajo ultrarunner Shaun Martin to receive a charity bib to support this wonderful cause. Shaun launched the Canyon de Chelly 55K Ultra trail race in 2012. Shaun’s on-going commitment to Navajo youth includes funneling proceeds from the annual race to support the youth of the Navajo Nation athletically and academically. Each year, his race provides support to the young athletes in addition to an individual (Tristin Natay for 2024) who is pursuing a college degree. We are honored to participate in this annual event that is limited to just 150 racers.

Read more (below) about Shaun’s inspiring work and we made this incredible connection with Shaun.

Who is Tristin Natay?

Tristin is wise for her 20yrs. Devoted to her family and community, she is one of four siblings. Her generous spirit brings a bright light to the Navajo community. We asked Tristin what she values most in life. She shared that kindness and understanding a person’s story feeds her soul. She seeks to understand and support others. Education is important to Tristin and her family. Her father is Superintendent of Chinle Elementary, her mom and sister are both teachers at the school. Tristin also works at the school when she is not away at college. After considering a nursing or education degree, Tristin has set her sights on a physical therapy degree as she enters her junior year of college. She is excited to combine medical therapy while supporting others through the therapeutic journey of physical health and mental well-being.

As a young girl of just 7yrs and every year since, Tristin has welcomed racers as they finish the annual Canyon de Chelly 55K Ultra race. She describes Canyon de Chelly as the most spiritually healing land of the entire Navajo Nation - a special place that honors connection to spirits of those that have passed.

On October 12th, we, along with a small group of runners, will experience the traditional values of Navajo distance running as a celebration of life and a form of prayer to honor those who have passed and the spirit of those whose memories live on. We are excited to have Tristin welcome us at the finish line!

Learn more about Shaun and how we connected….

Shaun’s story is no less than inspiring. Check out this profile about Shaun. He is a community leader, principal of Chinle Elementary school, athletic coach, and competitive runner. His work in the Navajo Nation is guided by his passion to support education and athletics within the largest school district in the Navajo Nation.

Liz learned about Shaun when she read an article, Running to Heal. Shaun’s story about running through Canyon de Chelly as a powerful Navajo tradition and healing process resonated with her journey. When Liz’s brother Jim passed away suddenly in 2021, Liz was training to run the most challenging race of her life, the Silverton Ultra Dirty 60K to celebrate her 60th birthday. Shaun’s experience captured the essence of her healing journey as she ran miles of trails in 2021. During Liz's training, the universe presented Nichole and Lindsey – the three meeting on the trail during a training run. They became fast friends sharing stories over the miles of trails. Lindsey and Nichole jumped at the opportunity to support Liz and complete the 60K together! This amazing gift of friendship continues to deepen over time.

Liz, Nichole and Lindsey were energized by Shaun’s vision. This race sets the initial foundation for on-going support to the Navajo Nation. We welcome anyone interested in exploring and participating in this on-going commitment with the Navajo community.

We appreciate your generosity and support!