Being BOLD in Life: Ryan's Atacama Run

Ryan knows a thing or two about going the distance. Since 2004, he's worn many hats at Bolder Options - mentor, board member, development director, and now Donor Relations Director. But this past year, he pushed himself further than ever before, tackling one of Earth's most extreme environments in the Atacama Crossing - a grueling 155-mile ultramarathon through the northern Chilean desert.

This isn't your typical weekend run. The Atacama Crossing belongs to Racing the Planet's Four Deserts series, alongside brutal ultramarathons in the Gobi Desert, Namibia, and Antarctica. These races rank among the world's most punishing footraces. Picture this: seven days, six stages, carrying your own gear and food across terrain that switches between soft sand dunes and salt flats that runners describe as "hard broccoli crowns." The longest stage stretches 45 miles, with runners getting two days to complete it. As Ryan puts it with a laugh, "Unless you're one of the crazy people trying to win, there's a lot of walking involved. I was just trying to finish."

The seed for this adventure was planted at the intersection of personal ambition and community impact. Now in his 50th year, Ryan wanted something big - something bold. "I've known about this race for over 10 years, and last fall when my wife and I traveled to the Atacama, it jogged my memory. It's a magical place. I thought, why not?"

That simple question grew into what's now called the BOLD Challenge. A call for people to step outside their comfort zones and turn their personal goals into platforms supporting youth mentoring through Bolder Options. The challenge isn't about matching Ryan's desert feat. It could be anything from a 30-day yoga streak to increasing your daily step count. The point is showing up boldly, for yourself and for others.

The desert, though, showed Ryan no mercy. "Day one was rough," he admits. "It was 22 miles at high altitude, and I hadn't acclimated. I thought, 'Am I in over my head?' But each day got better." Starting at 10,500 feet above sea level, the thin air hit like a wall. "Looking back, I should have arrived earlier to adjust. A few of us were gasping for air every few hundred feet, wondering why we felt so out of shape."

"Day one was rough," he admits. "It was 22 miles at high altitude, and I hadn't acclimated. I thought, 'Am I in over my head?' But each day got better."

The hardest days were during the solitary stretches during day four's 12-mile trek across the salt flats. Music became his lifeline: "I blasted Lucy Pearl and yacht rock. Anything to keep me moving."

Ryan was also inspired by his fellow runners. There was Bill, in his 60s, attempting the race for the fourth time after three DNFs. "He crossed the finish line of the long stage eight hours after me. Everyone who was up came out and cheered. It was emotional, not just for him, but for all of us who knew what it took."

The Atacama wasn't just a physical challenge - it was a mental marathon. Ryan credits his success to a complete mindset shift since an earlier stage race in 2014, which he didn't finish. "I was in better shape then, but I let negativity get in my head. This time, I refused to. I stayed positive, smiled, and reminded myself what a privilege it was to be out there. That made all the difference."

His message is clear: "You're never too old to do hard things." He points to other participants, like 72-year-old Vicki or his own son, who's running his own BOLD Challenge - 75 miles from his university dorm in Kofu, Japan, to downtown Tokyo. "He's fundraising too. Not all kids his age are ready to run an ultramarathon and ask people to give, but he's doing both."

Ryan's journey, from mentor to fundraiser to ultra runner, proves that being bold is a choice we make again and again. "Whether it's volunteering, mentoring, taking on a challenge, or just being more present, it all matters. It all counts as being bold."

Now, Ryan is inviting others to join him. The BOLD Challenge isn't about running across a desert - it's about pushing yourself outside your comfort zone and using that momentum to lift up others. Whether it's training for a race, completing a creative project, or starting a new healthy habit, your challenge can become a force for good. By fundraising through your personal goal, you can help young people at Bolder Options find their own path forward.

Ryan saw that same spirit in Bill, who crossed the finish line after years of trying. "It takes courage to keep going after setbacks," Ryan says. "The youth at Bolder Options do that every day. They fall down, get back up, and try again." We owe it to them to be BOLD. 

Are you ready to be BOLD? Take your own challenge or support someone else's journey today. 👉 https://www.bolderoptions.org/boldchallenge