A wave of despair washed over me as I crossed the grocery store parking lot. It was March 28 and I was supposed to be in Tennessee preparing for the biggest race of my life. One month ago, I was on the verge of achieving my childhood dream of becoming a professional athlete. Now I was walking into a new job at the grocery store. The thought nearly drove me to tears.
I climbed the stairs and entered a tiny cluttered office. New-hire paperwork was scattered across the table, lit by a harsh fluorescent bulb. After a short conversation, I was officially an employee. It wasn’t how I thought I’d be spending my spring, but life had changed nearly overnight, and I was lucky to have a job at all.
I had spent the past several years vying for a spot in the legendary Barkley Marathons. The race is the subject of multiple documentaries, has a highly secretive application process, and toeing the line at the yellow gate is the goal of countless elite athletes. In 2019 I made it on to the waitlist, and this year, I moved into the 40-person field after being selected from over 1,000 hopefuls.
I had an epic 2020 planned. After the Barkley Marathons, I wanted to break two of the most prestigious records in the ultra-endurance world: the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail speed records. No one has ever attempted such a challenge, and it sits right on the edge of being physically possible. I spent the year connecting with sponsors, and talks had progressed to long-term contracts. My dream of being a professional athlete was within reach.
For as long as I’ve been physically active, I’ve been searching for ways to push the limits. I was a three-sport athlete in high school, competed in marathons and triathlons, and was continually looking for new competitive outlets. At 20, I discovered ultrarunning and endurance records while hiking the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail.
In 2016, dissatisfied with my career and looking for an extreme physical test, I used all my savings to take a leave of absence from work and become the youngest person to complete the Calendar Year Triple Crown by hiking the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail in the same year.
In 2018 I took another leave of absence. I cashed out my retirement and went on a seven-month, 7,000-mile thru-hike, becoming the second person to complete the Great Western Loop. With these feats putting me in the upper tier of ultra-endurance, carving out a career as an athlete seemed less like a fantasy and more like a realistic goal.
I first learned of the Barkley Marathons ― and its 1% finish rate ― in 2014. I was captivated by the idea of a race that requires equal parts mental endurance, physical strength and extreme stubbornness. The route has no course markers, gains over 60,000 feet of elevation, and the briars, mountains, and abandoned prison complex along the route can only be navigated by map and compass. Only 15 people have finished the race in its 35-year history.
I bolstered my resume throughout 2019 by setting speed records on l