3-Time Cancer Thriver's Journey of 9,000+ Miles

Over the past 4 1/2 years, Paul has trekked a distance that’s 4 times greater than the moon’s diameter. He’s clocked 3 times the miles spanning I-10 from California to Florida. And if we’re talking rivers, he’s covered a distance that’s double the length of the Nile (the world’s longest river) — all on foot, without leaving his hometown of Broomfield, CO.

“Since April 2020, I've walked 9,174 miles total, averaging a little over 2,000 miles a year,” says Paul. “I enjoy it, and it's for lots of good causes. That's a win-win.”

How Paul’s Journey of 9,000+ Miles Began

As all journeys do, Paul’s epic walking project began with one step. It started during the early months of the pandemic, when many businesses, including Paul’s local fitness center, closed. “All of my organized options for exercising were gone,” he says.

The safest alternative option? Heading outdoors, from neighborhood sidewalks to the beautiful trails around his hometown. “That didn't feel dangerous. I didn't have to wear a mask. So, I started [walking outside] and then, being the person I am, I started tracking it.”

For the remainder of 2020, and into 2021, Paul continued walking and tracking his miles. At the end of 2021, he had an idea. “Maybe I could make something of this,” he thought.

And so, Paul did. In 2022, he turned his walking project into a fundraiser to support organizations personally meaningful to him: Food Bank of the Rockies, where he’s been a longtime volunteer, and Cancer Support Community, whose resources and services are free to anyone impacted by cancer.

Paul himself turned to CSC for extra support after a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2007 and, subsequently, while navigating treatment for a prostate cancer recurrence and a kidney cancer diagnosis a few years ago. Paul shared his story with us in 2022. 

For Paul, leading a fundraiser is a way of giving back. “With all of my volunteer work, I get more than I give, and I feel that way about the walking [fundraiser],” he says. “We all can make a difference in our own little way. Not necessarily something that anybody else would even notice, but we notice it internally, and it just feels good to repay the blessings. And in my life, Cancer Support Community helped me stay on an even keel.”

Last year, Paul took time off from fundraising (though not from walking). Now his fundraiser is back in full swing as he aims to walk 2,024 miles in 2024. While he’s racking up the miles, he’d love for people to join him in supporting CSC. 

Join Paul in Supporting CSC 

Keeping It Real

In late September, Paul was at 1,655 miles for the year, and counting. As much ground as he’s covered, he never gets bored on his treks. Having a great soundtrack helps keep things interesting, especially when the music has a good beat. 

“Music is a big part of my life,” notes Paul, who once owned a collection of 7,500 vinyl records, tapes, and CDs. He has since digitized much of that music — any selection of which he can enjoy on his iPod while walking. Mostly, he likes to keep it upbeat. “I might start out on a gentle morning [walk] with Jimi Hendrix coming up on the playlist,” he says.

Another trick Paul employs: “I challenge myself every walk to discover something new or to show new appreciation for something I might have passed by before,” he says.

Sometimes, nature presents its own small surprises and delights. Paul describes Colorado’s sunrises — a view he never tires of seeing on early-morning walks — as astounding. And once, while walking in a large park near his home, he was briefly joined by a coyote.

“He was just curious and walking along [with me], not for too far, maybe 50 yards or so,” remembers Paul. “He's on one side of the fence, and I'm on the other side, and we're just walking in tandem. What hit me that day was the concept of coexistence. He was curious about me. I was curious about him. He wasn't worried about me, and ultimately, I wasn't worried about him.”

Paul pays attention to these unique moments and appreciates them.

“I know now that I don't take life for granted," he says. "Does that mean I’m grabbing for the gusto every minute in life? No. But at the same time, it's a new appreciation of life. I look at flowers differently. I look at little scurrying animals differently… I don't take life for granted as an overall way of living, and so every day is a blessing.”
 

Ready to Join Paul in Supporting CSC?

Thinking About Starting Your Own Fundraiser? Here Are Paul’s Tips

1.    Have a passion for the cause. 

“The most important thing is to have a passion for the organization for whom you're raising money,” says Paul.

2.    Be gentle. 

“What's worked for me is to be gentle and not overbearing in [my] request,” notes Paul. “There's no negativity in my fundraising and that's purposeful. By negativity, I mean the incessant follow-ups or, ‘Hey, you donated money today; how about donating some more next month?’”

3.    Follow through. 

As Paul puts it, “If you made a promise associated with the fundraiser, then move mountains to accomplish that promise, or explain why you couldn't.”

4.    Give it a try. 

“There's no such thing as a silly idea, because mine started as a silly idea,” says Paul. “I thought, ‘Well, nobody's gonna do this, don't kid yourself.’ Just like, ‘Oh yeah, maybe some people might be interested in me walking a few miles. I'm going to walk anyway, so might as well test it.’ And that idea just took wings, and it flew, you know?”
 

One more suggestion? Send a thank-you to your supporters (unless they’ve asked not to be contacted, of course). Paul’s donors, he says, “get an individual thank-you from me if I know them personally. And if I know I'm going to see them in person, they'll get a handshake, a high five, and a very personalized response. That's important to me.”