BOISE, Idaho — Hiking Spain's Camino de Santiago is already a rewarding feat, but lifelong best friends from Eagle, Idaho, are bringing together people from all walks of life for the trek.
Since 2019, Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray have organized five accessible treks for people with disabilities, including those in wheelchairs and the visually impaired. The two returned Friday from two week-long trips last month, which in total, spanned more than 130 miles.
"You also have a host of individuals that are looking for purpose in their life or looking for ways to invest in other people, and those are the pushers or pullers, people who come along to help realize these dreams for others," Patrick said.
It is personal for the best friends because a neuro-muscular disease took Justin's ability to walk. The idea started in 2012 when Justin asked Patrick a question that changed their lives.
"I said, 'Hey, man, do you want to go across 500 miles of northern Spain with me?'" Justin said. "And [Patrick} said, 'Yeah, I'll push you.'"
After completing the journey in 2014, Patrick said people kept reaching out to them about how they could take their loved ones with disabilities on the Camino. Eventually, the two realized they wanted to lead group trips.
"It was birthed out of a desire of other people to try and experience some of the things that we were able to experience together," Patrick said.
It is an emotionally and physically demanding experience that draws sign ups from all around the world. In some spots, the pushers and pullers have to carry those in wheelchairs, Patrick said.
"It's just day in, day out, getting jostled by rocks and trails and getting pushed up hills and down hills," Justin said. "But it's pretty amazing. It really is."
Patrick said while most people do not know each other at the start of the trip, they bond very quickly.
"These kinds of groups attract people who are hungry for something beyond themselves," he said. "And when you have a bunch of people come together who have that like-mindedness, you can't help but have successful groups of people."
People who go on the trips pay their own way. Justin and Patrick choose from a pool of applicants. Although there is always a long waitlist, everyone is still encouraged to apply.
At the end of the day, the friends want to show everyone that something many might consider impossible can be possible.
"It's going to be uncomfortable; it's going to be challenging, but it's going to be the most rewarding thing that you've ever done," Justin said.
How long the two will lead trips on the Camino remains to be seen. They are taking it year by year, though 2025 is on the books.
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