Reflections from Ryan Job

Thanks From '08 Guest Climber, Ryan Job:

My Sincere Thanks To Camp Patriot

I would like to sincerely thank Camp Patriot for the amazing opportunity and experience of climbing Mt. Rainier. As a former Navy SEAL recently blinded in Iraq, I had thought my days of adventure and enjoying the outdoors had come to an end with the loss of my sight. The Camp Patriot organization helped me to again realize my passion and potential. The experience of summiting Mt. Rainier on my own power with the guiding support of the Camp Patriot team showed me that I am still the same man that endured SEAL training and a wartime deployment. The successful climb taught me that there are solutions to my obstacles associated with blindness, and that I still belong in the mountains.

The Camp Patriot team set me up for success right from the start. From the moment I first arrived at the airport in Seattle, to organizing all the gear that I was provided, to traversing the mountain glaciers and descending from the summit, all the help I could have asked for was only footsteps away. All I had to do was put one foot in front of the other in order to transform the summit of Mt. Rainier from a personal goal into a life accomplishment.

I wish to especially thank Micah Clark for envisioning and launching Camp Patriot. Additionally, I would like to thank the core team of Camp Patriot and all the supporters who made the Mt. Rainier trip possible. Also, I offer my grateful thanks to Curtis Fawley who played a central role in organizing the entire event, and who, along with Art Rausch, guided me up Mt. Rainier. I look forward to supporting Camp Patriot in every way I can so that fellow wounded veterans may be afforded the same opportunities.

Sincerely,
Ryan Job