Chapter 1: The Journey of a Lifetime

Fort Worth, TX – April 20th, 2011, Approximately 2:00 PM

     “This can’t be the end!”

I panted to myself as I lay helpless on the side of the I-30 Frontage Road just west of Fort Worth, TX. 1897 miles into the journey of my lifetime, I was surprised to find my body failing me. Until that point in the tour, I had essentially considered myself invincible to just about anything short of a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler. I suppose I believed I was invincible, not because of any special physical qualities, but because of the power of the cause I carried. That belief wasn’t logical; it was necessary.

Sometimes, we must convince ourselves of pleasant impossibilities to maintain the courage necessary to finish a great journey. Sometimes, those impossibilities have to come true. Nonetheless, there I lay, wondering if I would survive my newest challenge.

As my heart pounded at over 200 beats per minute (160 is pushing it for intense exercise), it felt as if my chest was going to explode. I could feel my pulse pounding against the headphones in my ears. As fast as my heart was racing, my mind raced a hundred times faster.

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June 15th, 2011

Out from the chaos of thoughts, I could still here the engine of the freight train churning within me. I was overwhelmed by one notion: “There are no limits. We truly can do anything, when we are free.”

Never have I felt more alive than when my knees dropped into the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean for the first time. I felt the wave of a thousand emotions pour over me in the same way that the ocean waters rushed over and almost through me.

This journey had been the most enormous undertaking of my life. It had required every ounce of energy and focus I had. In fact, it had required more, and so, I was forced to grow. No amount of forethought could have prepared me for the experience of completing the Freedom Skate. As my body swayed forward from the force of the drop, I could feel the momentum of the American flag I had carried the entire way as it lurched forward. It was as if the incomprehensible force of will and tenacity that had carried me across a continent was actually separate from me and suddenly needed to be brought to a halt at the shore. It seemed as if even the vast ocean that lay before me would not have been enough to stop that flag from moving forward. I had to choose to stop there. I knelt on what felt to me like holy ground and thought, “Nothing is impossible. Nothing is impossible.”

As the waves crashed into my body, my mind raced through a thousand memories of the places experienced, friendships forged, challenges overcome, pains born, fears faced, doubts turned to dust, and triumphs lived. It was the culmination of a journey that was truly larger than life and larger than me. Gasping for breath with tears and sweat pouring down my face, I felt a groan bellow up from deep within me, almost like a roar.

As the wild cry of absolute elation went out from me, I physically felt lighter, for the burden I had carried across thousands of miles was suddenly being lifted. We had done it! With the tireless support of a tight-knit team, an unlikely sponsor, faithful families, and thousands of fans and friends met along the way, I had blazed a trail and carried a message of entrepreneurial inspiration 3410 miles across the country on in-line skates. My support team and I had faced more physical, logistical, financial, relational, and emotional challenges than I can even begin to count. This journey had turned three boys with big ideas into men who had actually done something big.

Out from the chaos of thoughts, I could still here the engine of the freight train churning within me. I was overwhelmed by one notion:

“There are no limits. We truly can do anything, when we are free.”

The 411:

Distance Since last Update: 46 miles
Final Distance for Tour: 3412 miles
SKATE LOCATION: The Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, CA!
STATUS: Elated!

After well over 3000 miles of incredible experiences, hardships, triumphs, and adventures, the Freedom Skate is now coming to an end. I will skate into Santa Monica, CA on Wednesday, June 15th, at approximately 12:00 PM PST.

If this journey has inspired you to believe that you truly can do anything you set your mind to, then I would love for you to come out and celebrate with my crew and I at the finish! Could be a first opportunity to exercise that newly found belief! I have provided the basic information you need below. Dillon will be there filming for the documentary, so anyone who makes it out will be seen in the documentary. Also, Bob and I are working on setting up a LIVE cast for the end of the tour. We should be able to pull it off. If all goes well, it will air here on the website, beginning around 12:00 PM PST.

Celebrate with Us!

We’re asking anyone who wants to celebrate at the finish to meet us at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Blvd in Santa Monica at 12:00 PM PST on Wednesday June 15th. There’s a sidewalk on the ocean side of the intersection, which I will be taking out to the ocean. It’s difficult to predict exact times on this skate, but we’ll do our best to be there right at noon. You can see the map of my last day’s skate here. The images below should make it easy enough to find:

Ending at corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Blvd.

Street View of Finish Location