My grandson ran in his first Spartan race on Sunday, and as my eyes followed him, I thought how amazing this was that this could be a metaphor for all the challenges that so many of us have before we realize that we are all so unique and our talents are all needed as we still have so much of the work to be done in eradicating the stigma surrounding HIV, making sure that people really know that HIV is not a crime, and that when our viral load is undetectable it is impossible for us to transmit the virus to anyone, hence U=U or undetectable equals untransmittable! Spartan races for 13 year olds are often 2 miles combined with fifteen obstacles, for example you run, then hoist yourself over walls that are five or six feet tall, you run through huge pits of mud, you navigate an exorbitant amount of monkey bars, but, wait . . . what happens when you struggle with an obstacle or don't make it over, through, or under the designated barrier? You pick yourself up, try again, or do burpees, which we sometimes call squat thrusts, as the penalty, and you move on!
To read Susan's intro in its entirety, click here.
