giving yourself the gift of Life e xperiences: Nicole Voyles

By andrew pearce

Once you have successfully completed several marathons, more half-marathons than you can count, and even a Half Ironman Triathlon, what else can offer the same type of physical and mental challenge? For Nicole Voyles Marrs, an attorney with Laura Dale & Associates, P.C., it was the 29029 Challenge.

The 29029 Challenge, which is also known as Everesting, has been referred to as a “new breed of restorative endurance event” where Mount Everest is brought to you. More specifically, the 29029 Challenge takes place over three days, where participants have only 36 hours to ascend a mountain, take the gondola back down, and repeat until they have successfully summited the 29,029 feet needed to equal that of Mount Everest.

In September, Nicole, with Jarrod Marrs, her husband and coach, took on Whistler Blackcomb ski mountain in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The course totaled 31.2 miles and 31,120 feet. This was Nicole’s third time to complete the 29029 Challenge, having previously participated in events at Snowbasin Resort in Utah and Sun Valley in Idaho.

At first blush, a 31.2-mile event over three days may seem easier when compared to a 26.2-mile marathon or a 70.3-mile Half Ironman Triathlon, both of which are completed in one day. That is, until you realize you are essentially climbing to the same height as a commercial airplane’s cruising altitude.

The event is set at various ski resorts using black diamond trails scaled in reverse. As a result, participants find themselves climbing the equivalent of 100 flights of stairs over a relatively short distance. For Nicole, it was the hardest mental challenge of her life given the tremendous amount of energy it required – and the focus on nutrition and diet needed as a result. And there are other, less obvious challenges as well, from the extreme and sudden changes in temperature over such elevations to the animals that participants see (or hear) when hiking at night.

Yet the event has also provided Nicole with an immense sense of gratification, which revealed itself to her in two ways. First, the 29029 event has been described as a chance to invest in yourself. Nicole described it as giving herself the gift of life experiences, which has certainly been true for her. Second, and maybe more importantly, the event has given Nicole the chance to be off the grid and alone with her thoughts for 25-plus hours. As Nicole said, how often do we get that opportunity?

To make the most of her chance for self-reflection and contemplation, Nicole prepared note cards for each summit. Whistler consisted of eight summits, each gaining almost 4,000 feet of vert, so Nicole would identify something to reflect on for each one—such as her children, her marriage, or loved ones who have passed. At the end, Nicole felt empowered and thankful.

Next year, Nicole’s husband will once again be a coach—this time, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And for Nicole? She will be volunteering. Ultimately, whether you participate in events like the 29029 Challenge, or volunteer at them, the lesson is clear: Give yourself the gift of life experiences.