As September comes to a close and we move into October, I’ve been thinking a lot about milestones. Maybe it’s because there seem to be so many of them converging at once, some personal, some connected to One Summit, and others shared by all of us.
September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a month that is deeply personal to our One Summit community and to me. It also marked the 25th anniversary of September 11. Now, as we move into October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month and begin looking toward the final months of the year, several other milestones are coming into view. This year marks 20 years since I lost my oldest son Jack to pediatric cancer. I am approaching 20 years as a breast cancer survivor. One Summit is approaching our 40th Climb for Courage program. And before long, I will mark 10 years with an organization and mission that have become such an important part of my life.
Those are a lot of numbers. But milestones aren’t really about numbers. They are about what happened between them.
Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 2001, I was living in New York City, newly married and starting a family. Adam LaReau, One Summit’s founder, was across the river, a cadet at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. Neither of us could have imagined where our lives would take us. Five years later, my life had changed completely. I was then a mother of three when Jack passed away from cancer at 4 years old. Not long after losing him, I was diagnosed with breast cancer myself. I went from being a mother and caregiver to a bereaved parent and then a cancer patient. Those experiences changed who I was and how I saw the world. I certainly wouldn’t have chosen any of them. But I have learned that we don’t always get to choose the experiences that shape us. We do have some say in what we carry forward.
That idea is at the heart of Posttraumatic Growth, the framework behind One Summit’s programs. Posttraumatic growth doesn’t suggest that trauma is somehow good, or that grief and hardship simply disappear. It recognizes that through the struggle with incredibly difficult experiences, growth can also occur - in our relationships, in our sense of personal strength, in our appreciation for life, in new possibilities, and in a deeper understanding of purpose. I didn’t have those words 20 years ago. But looking back, I recognize them. Resilience. Community. Relationships. Storytelling. Purpose.
They have all been part of my own journey, and they are the same things I see every day at One Summit. I see them when a Little Warrior stands at the bottom of a climbing wall convinced they can’t possibly reach the top, and then tries anyway. I see them in the Navy SEAL mentor standing beside that child, encouraging them one handhold at a time. And I see how much our mentors gain from these relationships, too. One Summit was built to support children and families impacted by cancer and provide service for our Navy SEAL community. Over the years we have seen again and again how that impact goes both ways. Our mentors find connection, purpose, and community through their Little Warriors, and many will tell you they receive just as much from the relationship as they give. I see it in the parents watching from the sidelines. In siblings who have lived through cancer in their own way. And in relationships that begin on a climbing wall but grow into something that can impact both a child and a mentor for years to come.
And after almost 10 years with One Summit, I still find myself surprised and inspired at every Climb for Courage. That’s probably one of the milestones I am most proud of. Not the number of years, but the fact that the mission still gets me. Climb for Courage was created around a simple but powerful idea: put a child facing cancer together with someone who understands adversity, give them a challenge to face together, and help that child discover what they are capable of. Nearly 40 programs later, that idea has grown into something much bigger. Today, One Summit is a community of children, siblings, survivors, bereaved families, Navy SEAL mentors, volunteers, donors, partners, and friends. Our work extends beyond the climbing wall through Climb Higher, community engagement, and storytelling because resilience isn’t built in a single day. Relationships matter. Community matters. Continuing to show up matters.
As I reflect on these milestones, I also think about what comes next. One Summit is entering an important new chapter. We have spent years strengthening our programs, building our infrastructure, expanding our community, and learning how better to support families and mentors for the long term. Now our responsibility is to make sure this mission is strong enough to continue long beyond any one person, program, or milestone. Maybe that’s another lesson I’ve learned over these past 25 years. Life rarely follows the route we expect. We take on some climbs willingly and others we never asked for. Sometimes we reach the top, and sometimes simply taking the next step is enough. We meet people along the way who forever change the direction of our lives. And sometimes, when we stop long enough to look back, we can see that the hardest chapters of our lives have existed alongside some of the best. New relationships, new possibilities, greater strength and a deeper sense of purpose. One does not erase the other.
Twenty years later, I still miss Jack. Nearly 20 years after cancer, I don’t forget what it was like to hear that diagnosis. Twenty-five years after September 11, I can still remember what it felt like to be in New York City as our world changed. And nearly 10 years into my journey with One Summit, I know more deeply than ever why this work matters to me. These milestones aren’t finish lines. They are markers along the way - reminders of where we’ve been, who has walked beside us, how far we’ve come, and how much more there is still to do.
So, as we approach our 40th Climb for Courage and the next chapter of One Summit, I find myself feeling less focused on the number and more focused on what it represents: Hundreds of children and families who have become part of this community. Navy SEAL mentors who continue to show up—and who find their own connection, purpose, and growth through the relationships they build. Relationships that began at a climbing wall and lasted for years. Children discovering that they can do hard things. Families realizing they aren’t alone. And a community continuing to grow together through adversity.
Those are the milestones worth celebrating. And we’re still climbing.
