05/18/2026
🔥 Many parents today try to shield their children from difficult experiences because they’re afraid they might fail.
Beckie and I believe something very different.
We intentionally seek out hard experiences that force our children to solve problems, push through discomfort, and discover that, they are capable of far more than they realize.
So this weekend… we took on one of the hardest challenges imaginable.
The Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim hike. 🏔️
It’s often called the most strenuous one-day hike in America.
⚠️ Descend 6,000 feet
🥵 Cross “the box” in brutal heat
☀️ Finish with a 4,500-foot climb in the blazing sun
🥾 Nearly 22 miles total
It definitely pushed every one of us beyond our comfort zone.
And then there was Tim.
Our 7-year-old wanted to come so badly that we let him train with us to see what he was capable of. As we trained, Tim consistently demonstrated he was up for this extraordinary challenge as he placed 1st his age group in the 5k and ran all the way up Corner Canyon without stopping.
As we researched, we discovered something incredible:
Nobody on record under the age of 8 had ever completed the hike in one day.
So we decided…
Why not help Tim go for a world record? 😳🔥
To make it official, we brought affidavits for hikers to sign along the trail.
Before long, word started spreading through the canyon about “record-breaking Tim,” and hikers all along the route were cheering him on as we passed. 🙌It was brutal.
Beckie and I woke up at midnight to prepare packs.
We started hiking at 4:35 a.m.
It was brutal.
The steep descent gave me intense shin splints, and at one point, I honestly wondered if I’d need to turn around.
Later, during the long climb out, my ankle bone spurs started stabbing with every step.
But we kept going.
And honestly?
The kids amazed me.
Especially Tim.
He wasn’t just surviving…
He was LEADING. 💪
And after 17 hours of the most intense hiking we’ve ever done…
We climbed out on the South Rim altogether.
And Tim officially became the youngest person ever to complete the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim hike in a single day. 🏆🏔️
We now have a new nickname for him: "Rim-to-Rim Tim."
I hope our children always remember this:
Hard things build strong people.
Confidence doesn’t come from comfort.
It comes from doing things you once thought were impossible. 💙
