Liam Zahara is an avid outdoor enthusiast, with a strong connection to Power To Be. Using his adventures to support a good cause, last year Liam teamed up with Power To Be to run and complete the Sinister 7 100 mile Ultra Marathon and in doing so, raised over $6,500 for our programs! He also has been involved with Power To Be’s Fundraising Committee and the Vancouver Power to Play events, both as a competitor and volunteer.
This year, with almost all endurance races canceled due to COVID-19, Liam is trying something a little different that hits close to home. Liam will be riding from his grandparent’s farm in Northern Alberta (Culp AB) to Bowen Island, a passage between both sides of his family and two of his favourite places in the world. This isn’t necessarily an organized race, but rather an event that Liam is creating – a self-inflicted test of endurance and limits. It will be unassisted with camping along the way, with the goal of finishing as fast as his body will allow. While he originally considered riding solo, the race has evolved to include one of his best friends, Mateo Everitt, and his uncle, Trevor Zahara, who have both also been involved with Power To Be in the past.
Their plan is to start around September 15th and finish around September 19/20th. This intense 1,400km journey’s itinerary begins in Culp, Alberta continuing into West Central Alberta, onto a scenic ride through the Rocky Mountains, crossing the Southern Cariboo and finally into Pemberton and Whistler before descending upon Horseshoe Bay.
“My goal has always been to do this as fast as I can, to push my mind and body out of the comfort zone and test my limitations to overcome physical and mental barriers. This is where there are so many similarities with what Power To Be does. I believe that no matter who you are, we all have limitations, but we usually perceive these to be much greater than they truly are. Power To Be does an amazing job of helping those who face barriers to overcome their idea of what a limitation is and get out in nature to explore the mind and body’s ability. Teaming up with Power to Be to raise funds through my 100-mile race really motivated me to keep going, to push through the extreme discomfort and pain during the race. But also to continually push myself during training and to create a vision of completing the race as I did.
Three things I learned:
- Your mindset determines your limits
- Surround yourself with the right people and they will help you accomplish anything
- Smile – It makes the difficult moments better
Saying I am grateful to have the ability to explore nature is an understatement, this is something that makes me feel most alive. What Power To Be does by enabling those who face physical and mental barriers to get out in nature and explore the range of their limitations is extremely powerful. Power To Be not only positively impacts the individual participating in the programs, but also their family, friends, and other people in their life. Being in nature and pushing the mind and body is crucial to living a happy and healthy life, we should all explore our limitless abilities. I am so excited to be embarking on this journey in support of Power To Be.” Support Liam’s adventure by donating to Power To Be, click the link below!