SUMMER CHALLENGE FINISHER AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

Fundraising Finisher Awards:

Amount Raised – Your Awards

• $100 – 2022 Summer Challenge Medal and a Dri-FIT Shirt
• $101-$499 – Same as above PLUS Beads of Courage Logo Cap with foldable bill
• $500-$999 – Same as above PLUS Team Beads of Courage Lightweight Hoodie
• $1000+ – Same as above PLUS Recognition on the Aspire Sculpture at BOC Headquarters, including an exclusive artist-made glass bead of your choosing

Mileage Finisher Awards:

Qualify for a Fundraising Finisher Award at any level and we will also mail you a fun Honorary Beads of Courage name strand including an artist-made glass bead for those achieving 200 miles, 300 miles, 400 miles or  more.

MEET YOUR TEAM BEADS OF COURAGE SUMMER CHALLENGE AMBASSADORS

STACIE EICHINGER

WALKING

Hello! My name is Stacie. I am a second generation native to Tucson and have always loved the outdoors. In 2013, over the course of 9 months, I walked 3,575 miles across America for Beads of Courage from Ocean Shores, WA to Tybee Island, GA.

CHELSEY MAGNESS

MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE

Chelsey Magness is a professional adventure racer, a mountain bike world champion, a world renowned acrobatics teacher and a mother. Most days you can find her either on her mat, on her bike or chasing her two young sons around in the woods. Her big indulgences are lattes, dark chocolate and staying up way too late training underneath the stars.

DEAN HALL

SWIMMING

Dean has been a licensed clinical therapist and coach for over 30 years. Astonishingly, in that time he has conducted over fifty thousand face-to-face, one-hour sessions. Besides being an author and highly sought-after speaker, Dean is also a two-time cancer survivor, widower and world record-setting extreme distance swimmer. He is the first person to swim the entire 187-mile length of Oregon’s longest river, the Willamette River (which he did as an active cancer patient) in 2014, and Ireland’s longest river, the River Shannon (180 miles) in 2017, which was the first time he carried Beads of Courage delightedly doing so for the Childhood Cancer Foundation of Ireland.  For more information, visit https://swimminginmiracles.com.

ART “KARTS” HUSEONICA

CANOEING/KAYAKING/PADDLING

At age 71, Karts likes to say that he is retired from working, but not from living. Karts has completed many record-setting quests, including a solo double-traverse of Death Valley, record-setting Amazon River expedition, and record-setting hike of the 800-mile Arizona Trail. He is the oldest person to complete the Bear Grylls’ extreme survival course and was a crew member on the Amazon original series Eco-Challenge Fiji. This summer, as a Team Beads of Courage Ambassador, Karts will strive to complete a 60-day expedition to canoe 2,020 miles of the Yukon River. Follow Beads of Courage on social media for updates from Karts throughout the summer. For more information on the Yukon River quest, visit https://www.yukon2020.com/

AMY EDWARDS

HIKING ENTHUSIAST

Hi there, my name is Amy and I really started hiking in 2017 when I signed up to do the 52-Hike Challenge. Since then, I’ve explored many different areas and am currently section hiking/biking the Arizona Trail. Being in nature while challenging yourself physically is very therapeutic.

TIMMY SAMEC

TRIATHLETE

Timmy is a seasoned triathlete originally from the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, now living in Tampa, Florida. He recently finished his PhD at Clemson University and is getting back into the full swing of swimming, biking, and running! Timmy has been a member of Team USA and competed in the 2015 and 2016 ITU World Championships, as well as being a qualifier for the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Timmy has three pets with his fiancé Shaina: Chloe (cat), Milo (cat), and Cooper (new puppy!).

KAITLIN ELLEDGE

TRIATHLETE

Kaitlin is an avid triathlete, runner and former collegiate soccer player. She has completed 5 full iron-distance triathlons and multiple half-iron distance triathlons, as well as many marathons and half marathons. She is a former collegiate soccer player and was recently inducted into the Athletics Hall of Honor at her alma mater. She loves being active, spending time with her fiancé and two dogs, and cheering on the US Women’s Soccer Team!

MICHAEL MARTINEZ

MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST & WILDERNESS HIKER

Michael Martinez is a current PhD Environmental Chemistry student from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a former martial arts champion. Michael took first at the ISKA U.S Open, Pan-American Internationals, Compete Nationals and has trained with UFC mixed martial arts fighters. He has contributed to oncology research, COVID-19, kidney, applied biotechnology, genetic engineering, and lanthanide chemistry research. Michael is Yup’ik and Otomi from Anchorage, Alaska USA. He enjoys hiking with his giant schnauzer named Cima and helping find solutions for green technologies.