Racing Hearts
Finnley Willow Rohloff was born on July 3rd, 2017 with a congenital genital heart defect referred to as hypoplastic right heart syndrome. This means she only has a single functioning left ventricle. Finnley has undergone her first of 3 open heart operations with the goal being to re-plumb her heart to function only using the left ventricle.
My wife Tracie and I are very outdoorsy and love the mountains and getting our hearts racing. When we found out about Finnley's condition and realized that a heart that races for the mountains may never be a possibility it was difficult and shocking. We so desire to live our lives outdoors and bring our kids up in God's greatest love letter to us as his children.
With Finnleys diagnosis and the struggle she is currently overcoming, it is hard to let ourselves fall short of our potential as most of us have been gifted with healthy bodies. In honnor of Finn's strength, perserverence and courage in such a tiny package, a physical journey and mental struggle of our own seemed fit to follow.
My good friend Austin Seback and I are avid backcountry skiers and preparing to enter an event called "The Grand Traverse" a 40 mile ski tour from Crested Butte to Aspen. We are gifted with hearts that are physically capable of this journey and we found it appropriate to use our ability to overcome the mental challenge that this race will be. Austin and I, as well as everyone who encounters an individual like Finnley owe it to her and ourselves to excercise our limits and do our best to match her strength.
We will be entering this race as a charity for the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit of Childrens Hospital in efforts to raise money and awareness.
First we need to raise money for ourselves to purchase saftey and backcountry equipment needed to tackle this event along with entry fees. Any money we dont use will be transfered directly to the charity pool to Childrens Hospital.
Your contribution will place your intentions at our sides while enduring this challenge. Thank you for anything that you can give.
