{"id":3132,"date":"2022-02-22T16:57:33","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T00:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=3132"},"modified":"2026-08-30T22:02:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:02:41","slug":"the-trailblaze-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/the-trailblaze-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"The Trailblaze Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chic<\/span><\/div><\/div>
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\"Aromi<\/span><\/div>

Photo of Stacey Gualandi at the Las Vegas Overlook by Bill Yadao<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Trailblaze Challenge<\/h1>\n

25 MILES OF MEMORIES, MILESTONES, AND MAKING WISHES COME TRUE<\/p>\n

By Stacey Gualandi<\/p>\n<\/div>

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For anyone who has hiked with me for hours on end, they know I\u2019m never at a loss for words. Add in some caffeine, and I can chat with the best of \u2018em.<\/p>\n

But two weeks after completing the inaugural Trailblaze Challenge<\/em> for Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada with my husband Marty and 50 other \u201cTrailblazers,\u201d I\u2019m finding it hard to put into words exactly what this experience meant to me. I\u2019m getting emotional just writing about it.<\/p>\n

Not only did this group raise $206,000 to help grant over 115 wishes to kids with critical illnesses AND finish a 25-mile hike in the Valley of Fire\u2019s breathtaking backcountry (Yes! 25!), but us \u2018Blazers also formed a bond that went beyond my expectations.<\/p>\n

The Trailblaze Challenge<\/em> mantra is simple: \u201cIt\u2019s not a race. It\u2019s a journey.\u201d\u00a0 Truer words have never been written.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Photo of Stacey Escalante, Susan Norris, Barbra Jo Batterman, Colleen McCarty, Charlotte Carrier, and Stacey Gualandi in Blue Diamond.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

Our journey began last October, thanks to my fellow thrill-seeking and same-named friend Stacey Escalante, Make-A-Wish SN\u2019s Development Director. By accepting the challenge, Marty and I each committed to raising a minimum of $2500; training weekly for three months; and hiking 25 miles. (Emphasis on \u201cchallenge!\u201d) <\/span><\/p>\n

We chose the Team name \u201cYou\u2019ll Never Walk Alone\u201d in honor of our beloved Liverpool Football Club, a club renowned for its sense of community; support for the disadvantaged; and belief in the power of the people, all of which is embodied in LFC's poignant pre-game anthem: You'll Never Walk Alone<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Photo of Stacey and Marty Morawski in Valley of Fire.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

Initially, it was easy to answer the question, \u201cWhy do you hike?\u201d<\/p>\n