11 January 2011, I had a life-changing event at age 52. I had a nearly fatal heart attack with a right coronary artery that was 100% blocked. When the doctors put in a stint and cleared the blockage, my heart stopped. The staff made me ride the lightning twice before God decided to let my heart restart. I didn’t have a cardiologist at the time, because just 6 months prior I had a physical and was given a “your good to go” diagnosis. The cardiologist that found me is a very active mountaineer (kinda weird he’s in desert of West Texas). He told me I didn’t have any sufficient heart damage and if I change couple of things, I would see a full recovery. Then, he said “sadly the majority of my patients do pretty good for five years or so then they are right back here”. Doc didn’t know it, but he threw down the gauntlet! I decided "that ain’t gonna be me”! I started eating better and exercising regularly. My 60th birthday was rolling around and I told my Flight Paramedic son who is in Alaska I wanted to do something cool for my 60th trip around the sun. He suggested he and a good friend guide me up Mt. Rainier in Washington State. Now, being a desert dweller in West Texas and training for a mountain like Rainer is a little challenging. My training consisted of carrying around and 48lb pack, wearing a climbing harness with a 25-foot 3/8” log chain tied to it slogging through the sand. Not very scientific but it worked!! Memorial Day 2018 we did summit Mt. Rainer!
My 65th trip around the sun is approaching this year and my son (Matthew) and I are looking at Denali in the summer of 2024. Matt summited Denali in 2014 and said if I worked hard, we would at least be able to climb up to 14K camp and ski down. That’s where Boundless comes in. I have a co worker that has been training with Boundless for a long time and spoke very highly of the group. I knew my redneck training wasn’t going to cut it for this trip. I contacted Boundless and Brad Stahlman gave me a call from Romania no less where he was about to run a marathon. We clicked right off! I signed up and here we go. It’s been great! He watches my stats and assigns appropriate workouts so it doesn’t kill this old guy! I am pushed but not broken, and I couldn’t be happier with Coach Brad and the Boundless program. I’ll post pics from 14K camp on Denali next summer!
Keep a mov’in!
-David Tucker
