Profiles in Resilience

Resources in Resilience | September Letters

September 22, 2023

By Julie Markarian, MS, CCLS, One Summit Team Leader with forward and afterword by Maxwell Svec, One Summit Manager, Strategic Programs & Events Foreward As our One Summit community knows well, we hold storytelling in high regard and appreciate it as an essential part of the journey toward posttraumatic growth. Telling our stories helps connect us as human beings through shared experiences, sometimes incredibly joyful, at times breathtakingly devastating, and all the emotions in between. Earlier this year, I heard about the release of a new book co-written by Brittany Snow (best known for her role as Chloe in the Pitch Perfect movie franchise) called September Letters: Finding Strength and Connection in…

Profiles in Resilience | Adam Hom: Survivor & Thriver

August 25, 2023

By Christina Parker, One Summit Contributor and Team Leader “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” The day was July 6th, 2018. Adam had turned seven years old and was celebrating his birthday at Legoland in sunny California with friends and family. It was a beautiful day, filled with cake and laughter, smiles and love…exactly what you would expect from a 7th birthday party. Little did the Hom family know, their lives were about to change forever. A few days later, Adam’s parents, David and Lin Hom, received the devastating phone call. After countless long scans at Rady’s Children’s Hospital, Adam was officially diagnosed with Stage 1 Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood cancer. Lin: “It was the worst day…

Resource in Resilience – How to Get Through Hard Times: A TED Talk by Former U.S. Navy SEAL Jason Redman

July 21, 2023

By Maxwell Svec, One Summit Manager, Strategic Programs & Events On a recent trip to Maine one drizzly, warm afternoon, my wife and I took cover from the rain at a favorite local bookstore. We go into the shop anytime we’re in town—my wife, while a bibliophile herself, usually wanders off in search of the resident cat. I, however, tend to gravitate to the travel books and, more recently, the history and war section. I find myself thumbing the pages of the books there in hopes of stumbling upon one that might provide a deeper understanding of what our Navy SEAL mentors experience in their careers and day-to-day lives. Our work at…

Profiles in Resilience | Golf Fights Cancer and the Golf Marathon

June 5, 2023

By Maxwell Svec, One Summit Manager, Strategic Programs & Events We have crossed the unofficial starting line of summer and as we head into June here at One Summit, we’re gearing up for another Golf Marathon fundraiser hosted by Golf Fights Cancer (GFC) on June 8th and 9th. We are incredibly grateful for our continued partnership with GFC and their dedication to supporting organizations that provide research, services, and programs for the cancer community. GFC has already made a notable impact on our work and One Summit programs in 2023. Our Boston Climb for Courage back in April was sponsored by GFC and it wouldn’t have been possible without their generosity and…

Resource in Resilience: Cannondale Presents: High Road – A story of resilience, persistence, and strength

May 22, 2023

By Maxwell Svec, One Summit Manager, Strategic Programs & Events Recently at One Summit, we came across an incredible video that sits soundly in the posttraumatic growth vein, one of the underpinnings of our programs. The video, produced by Gnarly Bay and Cannondale Bicycles, features the mentor-mentee relationship between Meg Fisher, a Paralympic cyclist and parasports activist, and Jack Berry, an osteosarcoma cancer survivor. Meg lost her best friend and had her left leg amputated after a car accident in her late teens. In her professional cycling career, Meg won 11 world championships and competed twice for Team USA in the Paralympics in Rio and London, where she collectively took home one…

Profiles in Resilience | You. Don’t. Quit.

April 21, 2023

By Christina Parker, One Summit Contributor and Team Leader Three simple words…but three of the most challenging words to live by. Three words that Navy SEALs and pediatric cancer warriors live and breathe by. Three words that build resilience, strength, and fortitude, fueling courage, hope, and bravery, no matter the sacrifice. YOU. DON’T. QUIT. When times are hard, find the strength to be stronger. When times are tough, muster the courage to be even tougher. Our mentees and mentors are connected through their demonstration of courage and bravery, and these three simple words are their common ground. That is what mentor Scott Rathke and little warrior Kimi Schroders’ unique bond was formed over:…

Resilience In and Out of the Pool – Anna Johannes

March 31, 2023

By Maxwell Svec, One Summit Manager, Strategic Programs & Events Last month we hosted another Stories from the Summit, with special guest Anna Johannes, Paralympic bronze medalist and current Strategist of Inclusive Design at Interbrand. I met Anna several years ago when we both worked at a pediatric hospital in Boston, where we collaborated on a couple of events together. One of our collaborations revolved around awareness of disabilities and adaptive sports opportunities in athletics. Crossing paths with Anna was one of many experiences in the past decade that have helped me think differently about the world I move around in as a person without a disability. Anna was born in Kyrgyzstan…

Resource in Resilience: A Child Life Specialist’s review of Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship

January 31, 2023

By Maxwell Svec, One Summit Manager, Strategic Programs & Events featuring a review by Julie Markarian, MS, CCLS. Here at One Summit, we work with and deeply respect the expertise of child life specialists in our partner hospitals. Certified child life specialists (CCLS) are incredibly valuable clinicians in the world of pediatric healthcare and are highly skilled professionals in child development. CCLSs help children and families understand and cope with all manner of experiences in the hospital setting while emphasizing the power of play and the continuity of childhood throughout their medical journey. They also provide patients and families with resources, including stories and books that may help children learn lessons of…

Profiles in Resilience – The Powell Family

November 25, 2022

By Kimberly Powell, One Summit Parent. Foreword by Maxwell Svec, One Summit’s Manager, Strategic Programs & Events Foreword On the last day of September, about 24 hours before our Climb for Courage (CFC) began in New York City, a new family referral hit my inbox from Candlelighters NYC. We learned that the Powell family was en route to New York from their home in Arizona. Piper Powell, diagnosed with neuroblastoma, was headed to Sloan Kettering for a few weeks of treatment. Traveling with Piper was her twin sister Peyton, her older sister Maddie, and her parents, Kimberly and Garrett. What stood out right away was the speed at which Kimberly registered the girls…

Resources in Resilience – Help and Hope Happen Here Podcast Hosted by Mark Levine

October 21, 2022

By Maxwell Svec, One Summit Manager, Strategic Programs & Events Last month, One Summit Founder Adam La Reau and Executive Director Dianne Lynch, were featured on the Help and Hope Happen Here podcast hosted by Mark Levine. Mark’s podcast explores the world of pediatric cancer through interviews with a wide variety of people who have both a passion and a stake in finding ways to make the lives of pediatric cancer patients and their families easier. With over 200 available episodes and hundreds of hours of conversations to listen to, we thought this was a terrific Resource in Resilience to feature for the month of October. Mark has interviewed an impressive amount of people…

Profiles in Resilience – Connor’s Story

August 19, 2022

By Kara Pogue, One Summit Contributor and Team Leader Connor Heffler was recovering from surgery following the removal of a cancerous tumor from his spine when his mom Beth first learned about One Summit. "His doctor said, there's a group who would love for him to go rock climbing, and I looked at him like, 'Oh yeah, sure he's going to go rock climbing. He's barely walking, but sure let's go rock climbing,'" Beth says with a laugh, as though the memory is still as preposterous as the first time she heard the suggestion. Steve and Beth Heffler's hockey-loving, lacrosse-playing, active little boy was diagnosed with cancer the week before his ninth…

Resources in Resilience – Madefor with Pat Dossett

June 24, 2022

Resource in Resilience - Madefor By Kara Pogue, One Summit Contributor and Team Leader Last month, when former Navy SEAL and Madefor CEO Pat Dossett received a text from One Summit founder Adam La Reau, he picked up the phone and called him back right away. The two went through BUD/S together, have been friends for a while now, both run successful businesses, and are raising families of their own. So what was in the text that required a quick response? "Hey, I've got Ani here, and I'm driving her to her senior prom." Ani was the little warrior Pat was paired with when he was a mentor at the first Climb…

Profiles in Resilience | OS Mentor Perry Yee

May 20, 2022

The Value of Mentorship and On-going Relationships, with One Summit Mentor Perry Yee By Kara Pogue, One Summit Contributor and Team Leader In our fast-paced, over-scheduled, hectic day-to-day lives, it’s easy to think we’re too busy to make yet another commitment, even if it’s for a good cause. But Mentor Perry Yee made no excuses when he first heard about the opportunity to get involved with One Summit. In fact, he reached out about volunteer opportunities at the same time he and his wife were busy starting their own non-profit organization to benefit children of our nation's fallen military heroes, referred to as Gold Star Children. Perry and his wife Jamie jumped…

Life, striving for the highs while navigating the lows – Joe Andruzzi

March 21, 2022

By Maria Papandreou, One Summit Senior Manager of Development & Communications This month we hosted our third Stories from the Summit guest speaker, Joe Andruzzi. It was wonderful having our community of warriors come together and hear Joe’s incredible journey from an NFL player to a cancer survivor and how he built resilience through volunteerism. Joe’s enigmatic personality was evident throughout the evening. Joe grew up in New York City alongside his three brothers, who he fondly recalls used to get mad at him for eating all the food. A son of a police officer, the importance of hard work was instilled from a young age. His mom didn’t allow him…

Mind over Miles – Boston Marathon 2022 Warriors

February 21, 2022

By Maria Papandreou, One Summit Senior Manager of Development & Communications Marathons and life mirror each other in specific ways. Both can sometimes be difficult, challenging, and present obstacles. It's how you mentally approach these times both in the marathon and in life that determines results. Believing in your dreams and having a never-give-up mindset go a long way in helping things turn out positively. We are honored that John Hancock selected One Summit as one of its Non-Profit Marathon Program Partners for the sixth year in a row. One Summit's 2022 team is once again diverse, but they all share their commitment to our community of like-minded warriors. Read on to…

Profiles in Resilience – From Apprehension to Anything is Possible

November 19, 2021

By Maria Papandreou, One Summit Manager of Development & Communications A person’s attitude can determine success. Anthony Guzman’s smile is the first indication of his awe-inspiring positive attitude. On December 24th, 2019, Anthony's life changed when he was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. “Treatment has put him through a lot of trials and tribulations,” Anthony’s mom Raquel Ozoria recently expressed. Due to a complication during one of his many treatments, Anthony is now paralyzed from the waist down. Adjusting to a new way of life for anyone is scary. For Anthony and his mom, it is a challenge that they have taken on and conquered.Anthony was at One Summit’s most recent…

Boston Marathon 2021 – Why We Run

September 17, 2021

By Maria Papandreou, One Summit Manager of Development & Communications After being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boston Marathon is back! This year on October 11th, six runners will be running in-person on behalf of our mission. We were honored that John Hancock selected One Summit as one of its Non-Profit Marathon Program Partners for the fifth year in a row. One Summit's 2021 team is diverse yet comprised of six individuals who all have one thing in common – their commitment to our community of like-minded warriors. Each recently shared their motivation to train for and run one of the world's oldest annual marathons and best-known road…

Profiles in Resilience – Ethan’s Story

August 20, 2021

By Maria Papandreou, One Summit Manager of Development & Communications “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” This quote by Les Brown immediately came to mind when I heard Ethan Moore’s story. Ethan is Katie and Aaron Moore’s first child. Like most parents with a new baby, they worried and fussed over Ethan. Those first few months with Ethan, they’d sometimes tip-toe into his room late at night “just because.” At around three months old, Katie and Aaron noticed that Ethan’s eyes would twitch back and forth at times, and at his 4-month pediatrician checkup, the doctor saw the same thing. After being referred to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles…

Resources in Resilience – One Summit’s Annual Report 2019-2020

July 16, 2021

By Maria Papandreou, One Summit Manager of Development & Communications This month, we decided to take some time to reflect on One Summit’s accomplishments over the past few years and those of our community. Although it’s crucial we continue to innovate, inspire, and grow, it’s just as important to slow down every so often and look back on our journey. We are pleased to share One Summit’s 2019-2021 Annual Report. In 2019, our warriors shared many inspiring profiles of resilience as well as achieving program milestones. The transition into 2020, when a global pandemic gripped the world, tested our mental and physical strength. Creating this report allowed for an interesting reflection and…

Stories from the Summit – Dr.Jonny Kim

June 25, 2021

By Maria Papandreou, One Summit Manager of Development & Communications As part of our commitment to our community of resilient warriors, we launched Stories from the Summit this month, an online enrichment series designed to inspire, educate, and entertain through the blending of personal stories, practical insights, and application of resilience in our daily lives. Our first guest was Dr. Jonny Kim. At only 37 years old, Jonny's accomplishments are outstanding; Navy SEAL, Medical Doctor, Astronaut, Husband, Father, One Summit Mentor. On the evening of June 17th, fifty-five little warriors, their families, and mentors listened to Jonny's inspiring story and engaged in an interactive Q & A session. Jonny, a first-generation South Korean…

Resources in Resilience – Wellness, It’s all about you

May 14, 2021

By Maria Papandreou, One Summit Manager of Development & Communications Wellness, a term used frequently and even more so during the past year, is imperative to us all; but especially to little warriors battling cancer and their families. It’s a broad term that encompasses many dimensions, including emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, social, occupational, physical, and spiritual well-being. The concept of wellness poses the question, “Do we need harmony in all dimensions to thrive?” After doing a lot of research and introspection, the conclusion reached is that although one must give all dimensions attention, there is no balance between them. Instead, it’s crucial to find a personal harmony with the essential dimensions for…

Profiles in Resilience – In Her Own Words

April 16, 2021

By: Ashley Johnson, One Summit Young Professional Board Member I first learned about One Summit and its mission from a co-worker whose husband was a mentor. The concept of pairing Navy SEALs with children fighting cancer struck a chord close to my heart. I come from a family with a long-standing investment in the military, and at the time I was a rock climber myself. I decided that I wanted to get involved with this unique organization and I reached out to volunteer and present a fundraising idea that I had. On June 5th, 2019, I threw my first fundraiser at Mighty Squirrel Brewery in Waltham Massachusetts. It was such an amazing feeling to…

Profiles in Resilience – The Story Behind the Nate WOD Challenge

March 19, 2021

By: Maria Papandreou, One Summit Manager of Development & Communications 2 – 4 – 8 At first glance, just a set of numbers, but they have significant meaning to many who knew Nate Hardy. The numbers mark February 4, 2008 - the day Nate made the ultimate sacrifice. These numbers are now also part of the annual Nate WOD Challenge in which participating CrossFit boxes and individuals complete the WOD and raise funds in honor of Nate & Josh Hardy. Nate, a Navy SEAL, Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient, and hero killed in action, along with his brother Josh, who lost his battle to childhood cancer, represent One Summit’s mission of uniting…

Profiles in Resilience – Welcome New One Summit Board Members!

February 18, 2021

By: Maria Papandreou, One Summit Manager of Development & Communications What makes a great non-profit board member? Some of the most significant board members started their journey to service with nothing but a passion for the organization and an innate desire to do good. This desire, coupled with certain qualities such as being dedicated and committed to the mission, leading and influencing others, being knowledgeable, and valuing discretion, make board members an asset to a non-profit's success. Our newest One Summit Board Members have a strong commitment to our cause and are devoted to advancing the organization's mission. They are accomplished individuals who bring with them experiences that will be invaluable to…

Resources in Resilience: The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams NY: 2016

January 15, 2021

Reviewed by Steve Hardy, One Summit Contributor “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.” So goes an old adage quoted in this book. In many ways, it is central to our understanding of resilience and to One Summit’s mission. All of us must bear the stings of life, including disease, serious injuries, and the deaths of loved ones. Some endure more than others. We will naturally grieve our losses, but we need not stay fixed in despair. As disabled Army veteran D.J. Skelton put it (quoted in our blog on Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth): “I can either dwell on what happened and be miserable and pissy and complain…Or I can…

Hang on to Hope

December 16, 2020

By: Maria Papandreou Maria serves as One Summit's Manager of Development & Communications Hang on to hope…a fitting motto for 2020…and 2021! It has been a remarkable year. One that brought new challenges, changed the way we live and how we connect with each other. Our world has been shaken; our mental and physical strength tested daily. This year provided us with the opportunity to learn a lot about ourselves. 2020 presented us with a question; Do we let the fear of the unknown take over, or will we adapt to this new adversity in our lives? Resilience played a critical role in answering that question. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, "RESILIENCE"…

Profiles in Resilience: Christina

November 16, 2020

By: Kara Pogue, One Summit Contributor and Team Leader Behind each One Summit Climb for Courage are several unsung heroes who make the event go off without a hitch. Like their husbands, they are quiet professionals who work tirelessly to get things done, not for credit and notoriety, but the greater good. They are Navy SEAL spouses and significant others, and they serve as One Summit's Team Leaders. Christina is one such leader, who shares her time and heart, serving our participants and their families. She has volunteered alongside her husband at four or five One Summit events over the years; she's lost count. But she's always happy to help, and she brings…

Growth After Trauma – Dr. Richard Tedeschi

October 23, 2020

2020 is permeated with trauma, resilience, and growth. During this upheaval of all things familiar, many of us turn to family, friends, and professionals to help us navigate the overwhelming amount of stress and emotion that flood every moment of our days. At One Summit, our community is filled with experts of all ages with skills garnered through their own life experiences with cancer, combat, loss, and now an unforeseen pandemic. Driven by our mission, we have been at the forefront of addressing trauma and building resilience since our founding in 2014. We have been fortunate to access the knowledge and support of Dr. Richard Tedeschi, applying his study of Posttraumatic Growth…

Profiles in Resilience: The Sterling Family

January 23, 2020

Photo Credit: Colleen Elizabeth Photography By: Greg Doyle Greg Doyle serves as One Summit's Senior Manager of Communications & Development. At One Summit, we believe there is an opportunity embedded in each challenge and setback we inevitably encounter in life. Those who have endured any form of trauma or adversity only to emerge stronger share this very sentiment. And it’s clear why: they’ve reached a “peak” and, as a result, have a new perspective on the deep, dark “valleys” traversed along the way. The Sterlings are a perfect example of this: “While we would never want to go through this again and never wish this upon anyone, we did really learn a lot…

Resources in Resilience: Bryan Doerries and The Power of Stories

December 30, 2019

By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. Famine, Plague, War, Enslavement, Disease, Death. In our time on this planet, humans have both caused and endured many seismic traumas. Survivors grieve their losses of family, friends, limbs, homes, health, and more. But many climb back from the depths of grief and it numbness, its disruption of thought and sleep, its sense of hopelessness, its self-blame. Stories of loss and resilience are as old as literature itself. Ancient Greek bards and dramatists, like Homer and Sophocles, focused on all these themes. Do they have anything to offer us moderns? Bryan Doerries believes…

Profiles in Resilience: Eric Sun

November 29, 2019

By: Greg Doyle Greg Doyle serves as One Summit's Senior Manager of Communications & Development. Nervous. Nauseous. Tired. These were the three words Eric Sun used to describe how he felt the morning of Climb for Courage, Boston in November 2014. Eric had good reason to feel this way. At 12-years-old, he found himself in an unfair fight with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – a type of cancer seldom found in children that brutally attacks the body’s immune system. He was also skeptical about what the climb could offer “a grumpy, overweight middle schooler going through chemotherapy.” He admits that, at the time, he thought One Summit’s emphasis on resilience was “shallow.” I recently…

Profiles in Resilience: Climbing Higher with the Giove Family

September 26, 2019

By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. Mason Giove was 11 years old in 2015 when he filled out his application to participate in One Summit’s Boston Climb for Courage. He listed a few of his favorite things: “play video games,” “hang out with friends,” eat “pancakes with syrup” or “white cupcakes with white frosting,” and drive the truck at his “Papa’s” farm in Oklahoma. These sound like wishes of a typical 11-year old boy. One answer, however, gets to the heart of life for our little warriors. Among his “favorite things” was “not going to chemo.” At 18-months-old, Mason…

Resources in Resilience: Like-Minded Partners

August 29, 2019

Photo by Hailey Sadler By: Greg Doyle Greg Doyle serves as One Summit's Senior Manager of Communications & Development. If you’ve been following our work at One Summit, you’ve likely heard of our Profiles in Resilience series, which for the past year and a half has been featuring inspiring stories from our community of warriors. What many don’t know, is that we’ve also been highlighting proven resources covering topics such as trauma, post-traumatic growth, loss and the power of storytelling. To date, all these resources have been in the format of a book. And while books are an undeniably helpful tool, we recognize that what classifies as a “resource” is both (1)…

Profiles in Resilience: Like-Minded Warriors Find Resilience on the Rock Wall — [Bittersweet Monthly Feature]

July 1, 2019

Photo by Hailey Sadler One Summit was nominated and selected as the July 2019 feature on Bittersweet Monthly, a documentary-style storytelling platform and 501(c)3 Foundation that highlights organizations doing inspiring and much needed work in response to the critical social issues of our day. We're excited to share this story as our July Profile in Resilience. Luke’s breath becomes shorter, heavier. His foot tests the next hold, tentatively, and then drops back. Fingers feel like slipping. “I’m ready to come down,” he says. Photo by Hailey Sadler “It’s okay, take a minute,” coaches Jim. His voice is calm, encouraging. “Take a breath. Think about your next move. Where can you put your…

Resources in Resilience: Talking With Children About Loss by Maria Trozzi

June 17, 2019

Reviewed By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. Maria Trozzi was a featured speaker at the Mentor Dinner the night before One Summit’s first Climb for Courage in 2014. She has counseled grieving children since the 1980s, when she founded the Good Grief Program at Boston Medical Center. She soon became a nationally renowned speaker on resilience after loss — for children, families, schools, and communities. Talking With Children About Loss (Penguin 1999) put into writing all the knowledge and experience she had accumulated in her first fifteen years of working in the field. While informed by research, the book unfolds…

Profiles in Resilience: The Khan Family

May 28, 2019

Photo Credit: Colleen Elizabeth Photography By: Greg Doyle Greg Doyle serves as One Summit's Senior Manager of Communications & Development. At One Summit, we recognize that we have the opportunity to create many moments for our families and mentors worth capturing on camera – whether they be at one of our Climbs for Courage, community events or elsewhere. What captivates us about these images is not so much the aesthetics, but the memories, stories and relationships behind them. When we received the photos from our Climb for Courage, San Diego program held in March 2018, there was one photo in particular that seized our attention. This one. While it perfectly embodied the…

Resources in Resilience: The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

April 11, 2019

Reviewed By: Greg Doyle Greg Doyle serves as One Summit's Senior Manager of Communications & Development. Hopes. Dreams. Goals. Regardless of what we call them, we all have things we want for our lives. Some are small. Others are much bigger, requiring a tactical approach, sacrifice and skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and courage. Just as we all have dreams, all of us encounter obstacles as we pursue the very things we desire. Some are small. Others are much bigger, making our goals and hopes appear – at times – impossible. As we learned from Dan Cnossen’s Profile in Resilience, those who choose and learn how to move forward in the face…

Profiles in Resilience: Dan Cnossen

March 11, 2019

By: Greg Doyle Greg Doyle serves as One Summit's Senior Manager of Communications & Development. “It’s really gratifying to have that one-on-one interaction with the kids, teaching them climbing skills and some valuable life lessons.” – Dan Cnossen The life lessons Dan Cnossen can teach are endless. Each one is tied to a deeply transformative experience he’s had in his own life. Some have been triumphant. Others traumatic. All have shaped his perspective on resilience and the person he is today. Lesson #1: “If you never confront the fear, you miss out on the opportunity.” – Dan Cnossen Growing up on a fifth-generation family farm in Kansas taught Dan many things. The…

Resources in Resilience: Healing After Loss by Martha W. Hickman

February 27, 2019

Reviewed By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. Some of the smallest books in my library pack the biggest wallop of insights and wisdom. One of these is Martha W. Hickman’s Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief. Hickman (1925 - 2015) wrote essays, fiction and children’s books, but Healing After Loss is her best-known work. As a scholar, a church and community worker, and a mother who tragically lost her sixteen-year-old daughter, she understood the twisting trek of grief, its daily challenges and opportunities. She is an excellent travel companion. At 4x6 inches in size, Healing After…

Profiles in Resilience: Rachael Fussell

January 24, 2019

By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. As we waited for the kids from Dana-Farber to arrive by police escort, everyone at the very first Climb for Courage in 2014 was a little nervous. How quickly could these young cancer patients bond with the platoon-sized group of grizzled Navy SEALs? How fast would the mutual trust flow? Meanwhile, one person was coolly climbing to various perches on the different walls, camera in tow, checking for angles, visualizing shots of young dreamers reaching their goals. Her athleticism and composure radiated a steady confidence. That continued as the patients arrived, and soon the…

Resources in Resilience: The Story You Need To Tell by Sandra Marinella

December 19, 2018

Photo Credit: Sandra Marinella Reviewed By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. Humans are hardwired for stories. Myths, mysteries, tragedies, comedies — in poems, films, theater, books, or cartoons. The form, medium or place matter less than the tales themselves, full of challenges, journeys, obstacles, heroes, mentors, villains, twists and turns, and finally conclusions that bring change to characters and lessons to readers and viewers. In The Story You Need To Tell, Sandra Marinella shows us how to write and rewrite our personal stories in ways that can scoop us from the craters of seismic trauma that threaten us at…

Profiles in Resilience: Executive Director, Dianne M. Lynch

November 16, 2018

By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. One Summit is sharing Dianne's inspiring story to commemorate the anniversary of Jack's passing on November 18th and celebrate the Lynch's journey of resilience. In the fifteen years after her UMass graduation, Dianne McCaffrey Lynch enjoyed a successful career and a happy life. She made a mark in professional sports, with the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, the New England Revolution, and Major League Soccer. She met and married Ed Lynch. Their first child Jack was a toddler with, in her words, “glacier blue eyes, an impish smile, and a rambunctious personality that kept his dad…

Resources in Resilience: Upside – The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth

October 16, 2018

Photo Credit: Jim Rendon By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. In 2004, D. J. Skelton was a young second lieutenant, fresh out of West Point, leading a rifle platoon in Fallujah, Iraq, when his unit was heavily attacked. He suffered grievous wounds that eventually took an eye and significant mobility in a hand and leg. The pain was so intense, he later told ABC News, "I wanted to die right then.” But he didn’t. And despite countless, grueling surgeries, he pushed on, co-founded a charity that took wounded warriors like himself on outdoor adventure trips, returned to combat in…

Profiles in Resilience: Salma Costa and “The Day I Got to be a Navy SEAL”

August 31, 2018

At the age of three, Salma Costa was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. After multiple brain surgeries, nine months of chemotherapy, radiation and various trail adaptive therapies, she sadly lost her battle with the disease at just the age of seven on August 31, 2017. One Summit is sharing the Costa’s inspiring story to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Salma’s passing and celebrate the Costa’s journey of resilience. This letter – titled “The Day I Got to be a Navy SEAL” – was read by Salma’s mother, Fabiana at this year’s Mentor Training Dinner the night before Climb for Courage, Boston. It describes Salma’s Climb for Courage,…

Resources in Resilience: Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield

August 20, 2018

Photo Credit: Paulette J. Saure By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. Most Navy SEALs avoid books about Navy SEALs. One exception is Fearless, featured in our June Resources in Resilience blog. SEALs do, however, read widely for inspiration, and one of their favorites is Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. It describes the ancient Spartans and their heroic stand against the vast Persian army at Thermopylae in 480 BCE. My son Nate recommended the book when he sent me a DVD of the movie 300, with Gerard Butler as Spartan King Leonidas. “Read the book, watch the movie,”…

Profiles in Resilience: Kimi Schroder

July 16, 2018

By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. The young girl faced an audience of hardened men, all with many deployments to war torn regions around the world. She was the keynote speaker. They watched her intently. She was up to the challenge. “Hi. My name is Kimi and I have been fighting cancer for over seven years. In all this time, I NEVER let cancer limit me nor do I EVER let cancer define who I am. I am bigger and stronger than cancer and I plan on beating this and going on to accomplish great things.” It was the…

Resources in Resilience: Adam Brown – Resilient Warrior

June 25, 2018

By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. When we arrived at Norfolk airport on February 5, 2008 – the day after we learned our son Nate was killed in action – a tall, handsome, dark-haired guy introduced himself at the baggage claim area. It was Adam Brown. He told us he was on Nate’s SEAL team. He had trained with Nate, was rehabbing an injury – and thus not in Iraq – and would be helping us navigate the details of Nate’s death and burial. He was so genuine, so easygoing, and so friendly that we all felt a sense…

Profiles in Resilience: Founder, Adam La Reau – The Journey to One Summit

May 18, 2018

By: Steve Hardy Steve serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. Adam La Reau has never let an obstacle stop his forward progress. His strength lies in his heart and his will. After graduating from high school, he entered the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy with a plan to go straight to the water — at the Navy SEAL’s Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado, California. No one from the Academy had ever done that. Until Adam La Reau. You don’t make it as a SEAL if you can’t focus on meeting the challenge right in front of you, break it down into achievable steps,…

Profiles in Resilience: The Story of Nate and Josh Hardy

March 7, 2018

By: Steve Hardy Steve Hardy serves on One Summit's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Durham, NH. January 6, 2018 marked twenty-five years since our oldest son Josh died of brain cancer. Donna and I drove to Ogunquit, Maine and walked the Marginal Way, one of his favorite places. Less than a month later we were at Arlington National Cemetery where we visited his brother Nate’s grave and observed the 10th anniversary of his death in action during a Navy SEAL raid on a suicide bomb cell in Iraq. The pain of these losses never leaves and at any moment it can crash over us like the big waves…