Walking the Camino with Jen: A Personal Trainer’s perspective
I have had the honour of being Jen’s personal trainer for seven years as she has worked toward her ever-changing fitness goals. I plan challenging exercises for her, listen to her cues and modify her program when needed, cheer her on when she agrees to try another set of difficult exercises, and celebrate with her when she masters a new move. Tackling the Camino has been a huge test of Jen’s physical strength and a celebration of her resilience and many accomplishments.
Safety is always a priority but that doesn’t mean avoiding risk. Preparing for and completing the Camino de Santiago involved many risks and challenges, but those are far outweighed by the outcomes. The euphoric smile on Jen’s face as she reached a new summit makes all the hard work worthwhile. Tackling the trail up to O’Cebreiro, the iconic peak of one of the steepest climbs of the entire pilgrimage, is an example of such a risk. We knew it would be a bumpy path with a 7% incline that would test Jen’s core strength and the team’s capacity. As we unloaded in La Faba that morning, a local resident told us the trail could not be done with a chair. But Jen had prepared with years of head support exercises and sit-ups, so she had the core strength to keep herself upright and centred in her jogger, and we trusted in the strength and pulling power of Harry and Erik.
The day started cool and breezy, and we took numerous breaks to catch our breath and enjoy the view – and it was clear that Jen was loving it. Other pilgrims stopped and watched in amazement as we went by, and a group of Brazilian walkers said we were crazy! Another woman was so moved she took many pictures and with gestures communicated her emotions. On we walked and pulled with grateful appreciation of the majestic views of deep valleys, with their mix of forest, tilled farm fields and grazing cows. Further along, we got a scare when we were faced with a herd of longhorn cows coming straight toward us on the path. First, we heard cowbells and barking, and then a farmer riding his mule bareback came into view, along with his longhorn cows who were being herded by three border collies. J’s crew quickly moved to the side, feeling some nervousness as these oversize creatures trotted closely by. At a crest, Jen had a lovely moment to stand on the trail supported by her brother Erik, and we all rested peacefully as Jen gazed out at the breathtaking views. Onward we trudged until we reached the top at O’Cebreiro, where Pauline and Spiro were waiting to welcome us. We rolled and strolled into a lovely park where an entire bus load of Spanish bus tourists chanted “Olé, Olé” for Jen, acknowledging and celebrating her achievement! We enjoyed another quiet picnic lunch with Jen looking out over the valleys below, and we marvelled at what we had experienced. Jen’s determination and the strength of the pulling team were exceptional to behold. We were thankful for the protection from those big horns, and we were energized to keep walking through more beautiful hills. Jen’s physical training over months and years had made it possible for her to embrace the risks of submitting to the O’Cebreiro peak. Her years of leg control and strengthening exercises, rolling a skateboard back and forth, pedalling her Theracyle indoors, and working to improve neck stability and core strength were paying off. It had been a risk, but the reward was sweet.
Many people who choose to work with a personal trainer come to the relationship after having experienced a loss of some kind. It could be a loss of motivation, or a reduction in body function or mobility. Others carry burdens of loss or disappointment. Jen was no exception, beginning her journey after a traumatic loss of ability. But over the years, that burden has been reduced as Jen gained an extremely high level of motivation. As Jen moved through stages of loss and surgical intervention, she came to realize that movement was the key to improved body function and health, and, even more importantly, quality of life. Jen’s family reports that following the accident, Jen gained an increased tolerance for the discomfort she experiences from spasticity and recovery from surgery, which allows her to push through hard workouts and the resulting sore muscles afterwards.
The idea of leaving burdens behind is a powerful Camino motivation too. It’s a pilgrim tradition to leave one’s burdens at the foot of the Cruz de Ferro – the cross of iron – located at the highest point of the trail, well past the halfway point of the pilgrimage. Pilgrims choose a stone and symbolically leave it – and their burdens – at the cross. For Jen, the simple act of closing and opening her hand was the result of months of hand control exercises and working on arm lifts and pulls on her weight stack.
Prior to our arrival at Cruz de Ferro, we had talked about what it would mean for us to leave our stones at the cross. Along the way, we each picked up a stone and reflected on its significance – would this be an emotional moment of releasing our burdens? I recalled a visit early in our trip to the chapel in Rabé de las Calzadas, where the compassionate sisters made the sign of the cross on our foreheads and spoke a blessing over each of us. I received that gift as a flood of emotion which took me by surprise. As the sister gently cupped Jen’s cheek with her hand and spoke words of strength and blessing over Jen and her parents, naming them Valiente (courageous), many of us shed tears. Was this the beginning of leaving our burdens behind on the Camino?
The Cruz de Ferro appears in view after about a kilometre of climbing from Foncebadón. The site was originally a Roman altar dedicated to Mercury. The ancient custom was for pilgrims to bring a stone from their hometowns to drop at the cross, an act symbolizing the deliverance from sin afforded by their pilgrimage. More recently, pilgrims pick up stones along their walk to leave at the cross, representing the burdens they leave behind or the prayers and requests for their futures.
As we approached the cross, we could not help but notice how the skies changed. For more than a week we had walked under cloudless blue skies and sweltering sun. As we approached the cross, we noticed a cloud move in to cover the sun, bringing welcome relief with a drop in temperature, and a cool breeze rolling over the hills. As we looked up at the strato cirrus cloud, we noticed its outer rim was reflecting the rainbow colours, especially the pink. Pink has been a significant colour for us, as it was Jen’s colour of choice for our team shirts and the colour of her Jogger, and it seemed strangely comforting to see this colour reflected in the heavens. We carefully climbed the mound with many hands helping Jen get over the bumps in her Jogger.
Jen’s moment to drop her stone arrived. She was intently staring at the cross and blinked to say she was ready to leave her burden at the cross. She had carefully held this stone in her hand all day.
That morning, Carlos, our host, told us that local tradition is to throw the stone over your shoulder. When asked if she was ready to release her stone, Jen blinked yes. She then carefully followed the tradition as she raised her left arm up to her shoulder and released the stone with a profound look of concentration and peace. I marvelled at the connection to Jen’s arm workouts, and the control she used while opening her hand to let the stone fall to the pile. At this moment Jen’s Uncle Spiro pointed out a new cloud that moved over us in the distinct shape of a dove. We all felt the deep import of this moment. We quietly descended the hill and moved on to our next stage.
As we left this memorable place, I reflected that this moment was less about what I needed to leave behind and more about what our team was doing to support Jen’s journey to leave her stone at the foot of this cross. Jen has been “dropping stones” in her training for years as she breaks through training barriers, masters movement, and moves on to the next challenge. What a privilege for us to be part of this journey!
