10 minute read
Tunes Body For Healing Dale Sanders, 85, Earns Third World Record
Memphis Hiker, 85, Earns Third World Record with 48-mile Grand Canyon Trek
A phone call from his wife almost ended 85-year-old Dale Sanders’s third world record attempt before he even hit the trail.
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At 7:50 am on Oct. 5, just moments prior to embarking from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, his wife told him, “I know what it is. I’ve already been to the emergency room. You go on and hike.”
Ahead of him he faced a 4,520-foot descent to Bright Angel Campground not knowing exactly how his wife fared. “It was a really bad, rough, challenging start,” he says. “There are no communication services of any kind. I did carry a spot tracker so I could send an emergency signal if I had a problem, but there was no way for her to reach me if she had a problem.”
As she did three years earlier during his record-breaking thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, his biggest supporter still urged him to continue. remembers. “After that, there was no way I was going to quit.”
The same perseverance that earned him the nickname Grey Beard on his 2017 hike, kept him going on his mission to become the oldest person to complete the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim.
Despite the rough start and limited altitude training, Dale began descending steep switchbacks with five friends from the Bluff City Canoe Club, each with a key role that helped him earn another world record.
“I have to have a timekeeper, assistant timekeeper, two witnesses, and an overall coordinator,” he says. There’s specific evidence required to officially set a new Guinness World Record. “The five people had to sign letters and I had to do video evidence.”
With a pack base weight of 10 pounds, Dale carefully planned his meals and water sources to minimize the amount he would need to carry during his five-day hike.
On Day 3, Dale and two of his hiking buddies woke up before dawn to make their way up to the halfway point of the 48-mile round-trip trek.
“The trail is pretty steep getting up to the North Rim. It hadn’t rained much this summer, so all the dust and sand had gotten soft,” he says. “That last couple of miles is that loose dirt, and it’s steeper there than the rest of the darn trail.”
It took them seven hours to climb nearly a mile in elevation on a path forged through Redwall Limestone to reach the North Rim. Dale’s reward? He got to call his wife. “I was able to talk to her and find out she’s okay,” he says, and learned that low sodium levels caused his wife’s health scare.
Tackling the steep and precarious trail made of loose dirt heading back into the canyon was difficult, but hearing good news from his wife put an extra spring in Dale’s step. In just three hours, they made it down to Cottonwood Campground, where the rest of his group was waiting.
The last 13 miles back to the South Rim were split into two days, making for a more leisurely hike at the end of a breathtaking trip.
Speaking of the Grand Canyon, Dale says, “It’s just beyond words. Literally, beyond words. You almost have to see it to understand the vastness of it.”
Over the five days the group from Memphis spent hiking, word of Dale’s world record-breaking attempt was spreading up and down the rim.
“Everyone came running from all directions and they would tell other people, so it was a good crowd,” he smiles. “I walked out and all those people were there cheering and clapping. It was all worth it.”
If you’re wondering what drives someone well past the age of retirement to continue pushing boundaries and proving that anything is possible, it’s this:
“It goes back to my years in grade school,” he shares. “I was bullied a lot, all the way through until I became a sophomore in high school. Deep down, I think I equated the fact that I was doing something nobody else could do. I think that’s why I go out and do these things. I’m the person I am now because of it.”
Rising above the pains of his past drives Dale to continue breaking world records, but it’s the way he feels out in nature that lures him to the water and into the woods for each adventure.
“It’s easy for me to put the troubles of the world behind me. I do that the instant I put my feet on the trail.”
Dale Sanders is the oldest person to ever solo paddle the Mississippi River from source to sea (September 2015; age 80). He also holds the world record as the oldest person to complete the thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in one calendar year (October 2017; age 82). On Oct. 10, 2020, at 85, Dale broke his third world record, becoming the oldest person to hike the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim.
Grey Beard’s advice for living a long, adventurous life
Live happily.
Live spiritually.
“Have a heart-filled, positive outlook on life.”
Live actively.
The Home Gym Guide
These experts share their favorite ways to train at home.
Morgan Schulte
Dietitian/Nutrition Coach, Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor at Orange Theory, former NBA Grizz Girl
Motivatefitnessnutrition.com
MY FAVES: Large exercise ball, jump rope, kettlebell
BEST BUDGET PICKS: Resistance bands, a set of light or medium-weight dumbbells, medicine ball
IF YOU CAN SPLURGE: Treadmill, TRX Suspension Trainer
FOR LARGE SPACES: Make sure you have an area where you can jump and move around as well as an area with a mat to do exercises on the floor. This will ensure that you can do more dynamic, athletic movements, and also exercises on the ground like push-ups, core work, etc. For a challenge, you can set up an “obstacle course” and make stations with different exercises to complete!
FOR SMALL SPACES: Keep it simple. Remember you don’t need a lot of space to do If all you have is a yoga mat, you can do all bodyweight exercises. I would start with that, and maybe a few dumbbells.
IF I COULD ONLY BUY 1 THING: TRX Suspension Trainer because you can do so an effective workout! Any carpeted area in your home could be used for most exercises.
much with it!
GO-TO JAM SONG: “Get Me Bodied” — Beyoncé
Todd Hinton
Director of Health and Fitness at OLEC & Fitness Trainer
Thinton@germantownumc.org
MY FAVES: Assault bike, barbell, and pull-up bar
BEST BUDGET PICKS: Kettlebell, resistance band, and ab wheel
IF YOU CAN SPLURGE: Power rack and Assault AirRunner
FOR LARGE SPACES: First put down rubber flooring. Buy a multi-use rack and at least one cardio piece.
IF I COULD ONLY BUY 1 THING: Barbell with plates because it has the most function: push, pull, and squat
Judy Oros
Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor
@FitnessJudy
MY FAVES: Kettlebells, dumbbells, and battle ropes (gets your heart rate up and they are so good for arms and core)
BEST BUDGET PICKS: Resistance bands, Bosu Ball, medicine ball
IF YOU CAN SPLURGE: Concept2 Rower (it can go anywhere and easily moves around), bench, barbell and rack
FOR ANY SIZE SPACE: If you buy too much, it will be cluttered and you can’t move around efficiently. Don’t buy equipment that is too trendy. You will use it once or twice and then never again. Stick to the basics. Think functional and quality—not too cheap but not too expensive either.
IF I COULD ONLY BUY 1 THING: TRX—you can attach it to anything (even a tree), and its all bodyweight exercises!
GO-TO JAMS: Creedence ClearWater, The Spinners, Johnny Cash
Shelby Farms Greenline is a community connector, and it’s one of the most important amenities for health and wellness in Memphis!
As we celebrate the Greenline’s 10th birthday, we are also celebrating the hard work and TLC that goes into keeping the trail open and accessible 365 days a year.
Did you know? Visitor numbers have tripled this year—a tangible reminder of how important access to nature and outdoor fitness is for our community. Will you please help celebrate and support
your trail and your community by making a one-time or recurring donation to Shelby Farms Park Conservancy?
Khalid Al-Ahmad
Personal Trainer & Group Exercise Instructor at The Kroc Center
Khalidalahmad15@gmail.com
MY FAVES: TRX Suspension Trainer, resistance tubes, yoga mat
BEST BUDGET PICKS: Dumbbells, exercise ball, kettlebell
IF YOU CAN SPLURGE: Functional trainer cable machine and Rower
FOR LARGE SPACES: Purchase equipment that can be used for many compound movements (adjustable bench set, squat rack, or even dumbbells). Try and keep your space as open as possible with equipment around the walls of the room, so you can utilize your gym to its full potential and without being worried about equipment scattered everywhere.
FOR SMALL SPACES: Get equipment you know you will use often for multiple areas of the body. To avoid feeling cramped, purchase a storage rack or shelf for your essential equipment to create more room. And be aware so you don’t damage your surroundings or equipment.
IF I COULD ONLY BUY 1 THING: A functional trainer cable machine gives you a total body workout. You can adjust the resistance very quickly and easily for any exercise you perform.
GO-TO JAM SONG: “Blank Space” — I Prevail
Beth Bush
Personal Trainer
@getfit_with_beth
MY FAVES: Plyo box (for box jumps), medicine ball, and a kettlebell
BEST BUDGET PICKS: Resistance bands, dumbbells, and a stability ball
IF YOU CAN SPLURGE: Rower
FOR LARGE SPACES: First I would recommend cleaning and removing any dust or dirt. Install Good rubber flooring. Slowly start to purchase equipment as you can afford it.
FOR SMALL SPACES: Purchase basic equipment—think resistance bands, a couple sets of dumbbells, stability ball, jump rope, and yoga mat.
IF I COULD ONLY BUY 1 THING: Kettlebell. You can perform many exercises and they increase your endurance, core strength, and stamina.
Safety first. Commitment always.
It’s not about challenging times. It’s not about “new normals”. It’s about staying true to what matters most. At Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, your safety remains our top priority. And we’re more committed than ever to your health. We will continue to do all we can to support our community and improve every life we touch. We’re here for you. Every single day.
To learn more about our services, visit methodisthealth.org.
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