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32 T he timing of my endurance adventure for the Project Athena Foundation was sadly ironic. As I hiked my way out of the Grand Canyon — in 90-plus- degree temperatures, extremely dehydrated and craving water — Hurricane Harvey continued its relentless deluge over Houston. I felt accomplished and wretched at the same time. For three months, I had trained with my friends Renee Rouleau and Gail Davis to participate in the most physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging endurance adventure I've ever attempted. It required, said Davis, a certain degree of "bad-ass-ery" — a motivational term that, in our weakest moments, provided the kick-ass drive necessary to get us the hell out of the Grand Canyon. Riding the bus to Bright Angel Trailhead the night prior, we boomed our rallying cry: "No sleep till North Rim," to the tune of the Beastie Boys' "No sleep Till Brooklyn." To avoid the higher-than-expected temperatures reported for August 29, our start time changed from 1 am to 11 pm. The lost hours sent my packing into a tizzy: Did I have a banana? What about the PB&J sandwiches? Don't forget to pack electrolytes, sunblock, trail mix … Headlamps? Poles? Check! My backpack, with everything crammed in (including four liters of water), weighed 18 pounds. Most sensible hikers take three or four days to leisurely amble through the Grand Canyon — sleeping in log cabins, admiring the sunrise, being at one with nature, all while soaking in the magnitude of this world wonder. However, for the team of ladies signed up for this endurance adventure, we hiked 24 miles and totaled 10,000 feet of elevation in just 16 hours. Starting from the South Rim (elevation 6,900 feet), we trekked down the South Kaibab Trail in the dark, wearing headlamps, along the inner canyon trail of the North Kaibab Trail and finally ascending the North Rim (elevation of 8,255 feet) — all in one hike. Indeed, no sleep till North Rim. Project Athena Foundation founder Robyn Benincasa is a tour de force, as is her team of merry trail angels. Named a 2014 CNN Hero for the Project Athena Foundation, Benincasa is a world-champion adventure racer, San Diego firefighter, and motivational speaker. Simply put, she is the original badass. The nonprofit foundation's volunteers and fund-raisers (known as Goddesses or Gods) give an Athena or a Zeus (survivors of a medical or traumatic setback) the opportunity to train for this dream hike. With months of intense training, these warriors of life embark on a powerful transformation from trauma survivor to athlete, overcoming incredible physical and emotional obstacles along the way. I was proud to join the team as a so-called Goddess for its Rim 2 Rim adventure. Not only that: I trusted Benincasa and her posse of Project Athena trail angels with my life. T W E N TY - F O U R M I L E S … 1 0 , 0 0 0 F E E T … 1 6 H O U R S . PAPERCITY EDITOR-AT-LARGE MAX TROWBRIDGE, OUR MOST UNLIKELY HARDCORE ATHLETIC HERO, TRAVERSES THE GRAND CANYON AT THE HEIGHT OF SUMMER — ALL IN THE NAME OF THE PROJECT ATHENA FOUNDATION. INTO THE WILD Grand Canyon Max Trowbridge at the finish (continued on page 34)