Courtney Pauls- Cherokee Tom’s 2012 Journal

I read Cherokee Tom’s 2012 Trail Journal. One thing that really struck me was his perseverance to achieve his goal. On many occasions, he kept talking about how he would work out and train for the trail. On one occasion, Tom had to leave the trail and go home because he was sick. He also talks a lot about walking your own trail and to now measure yourself up to another’s pace. I never realized that breathing could be an issue when hiking. Tom talked a lot about having troubles breathing due to the elevation and health issues. Once he was able to hike the trail again, he had to leave after only hiking a few miles. Tom talked about how he should have listened to his body. People should really listen to their bodies because they can tell us a whole lot about ourselves. Tom was later diagnosed with COPD and also found out he had blockages in his heart.