Is there a force on earth that is stronger than sacrificial love? If there is, I haven’t found it. Love, at its best, will always cost you something. It won’t settle for talk, end at sympathy, or be quenched by discomfort. Love lays it down, crosses the road, and even climbs a mountain. That’s what I got to witness this week on the outskirts of a little Bavarian town called Leavenworth. Twenty-nine Freedom Hikers, who had raised $58,000 for the cause, heard the 2 am alarm clock and answered the call to be a part of something so much bigger than themselves.
I’ve been heartbroken over the injustice of human trafficking for the last 15 years, and during that time, it’s been a privilege to surround myself with people who carry a deep conviction to take action against it.
I was only 20 years old when I first encountered selfless individuals who were dedicating a physical challenge to freedom. It was a group in Sydney, Australia who fundraised and cycled a great distance across their home state. While the physical feat was impressive, what marked me the most was seeing ordinary, everyday people deciding to stand up for justice. They were not social workers, lawyers, or clinical psychologists on the frontlines of anti-trafficking efforts. They were business majors and medical school friends who felt compelled to do something significant. Standing in a room with them, I believed for the first time that grassroots movements can help put an end to the exploitation of human beings. And I still believe that today.
Many years ago, Atlas Free began on a mountain, and this week I had the opportunity to participate in a Freedom Hike for myself. On Wednesday morning, we avoided the potholes as our cars kicked up dust on an old forest service road. At 3 am, we arrived at the Stuart Lake trailhead. Opting to leave my puffer jacket in the car, I flicked on my headlamp and looked around at the semi-circle of people who were slowly forming. I saw Daniel and Tanya, business owners from Arizona. I saw Brian, a Seattle firefighter. I saw Meghan, a preschool teacher based in Alaska. And I saw Elisa, who was there for her fourth year. This year was extra special for her, because her father Peter was standing beside her. After years of donating to his daughter’s fundraising page, he decided to show some extra support by strapping on the hiking boots.
There were 12 of us gathered under the stars as Laura, an Atlas Free staff member, inspired us for the task ahead. “When it gets hard, remember why you’re doing this”, she said. We listened to a moving story about an 11-year-old girl from Nepal who found restoration through Atlas Free. It was a tangible reminder that our fundraising efforts would no doubt impact children on the other side of the world.
My group ascended into the darkness and made it to Colchuk Lake as the dawn kissed the snowy peaks that eclipsed the horizon. The trail conversations were both raw and ridiculous. As for the trail snacks? Meat sticks, chocolate-covered espresso beans, and sesame snaps kept me fueled.
We raced the morning sun up the famous Aasgard Pass, which was our hard-earned portal into The Enchantments. What greeted us at the very top was otherworldly. In the company of fluffy white mountain goats, I beheld a beauty like I had scarcely seen before. The reward for the quickly forming blisters was a polar plunge and electrolyte-infused filtered lake water.
As we slid through the snow and traversed the rocky peaks, I was well aware of the deeper purpose behind our shared hiking experience. A small card on a carabiner was clipped onto Daniel’s backpack as he hiked in front of me. “I hike for Raquel”, it said. Jarrod, who has done several Freedom Hikes, later shared with the group that the card on his backpack compelled him to keep pushing through the hike, even when it became difficult. The story he was given highlighted a brave single mother who was trafficked in China and ended up walking barefoot with a child in her arms for 3 months in order to find freedom. Doesn’t that put it all into perspective? Our experience was challenging, but defined by beauty, whereas the stories we carried with us were defined by brutality. Hope, however, is always to be found in individual stories of restoration. Human trafficking can feel like an insurmountable mountain, but each story of freedom gives you a glimpse of what’s truly possible.
Traveling through the core of The Enchantments, I reflected on the fact that the right motivation in life will drive you to accomplish hard things. And as I journeyed with the Freedom Hikers, I watched how every step they took was tethered to a deeper heart of sacrificial love.
Honestly, I was fine until the final stretch. Once we passed Snow Lake, I went silent. My blisters were burning, my legs were shaking, and for over four hours, I battled the temptation to stop moving. The sun and the switchbacks were unforgiving, and yet the motivation to keep going was stronger still. “Our day is going to come to an end, but for countless victims of trafficking, their day will only continue”, said a hiker during our water break. Perspective is everything. The group stayed positive, and after 14 hours and 42 minutes, we completed the hike. At the end of the trail, we were greeted by the Atlas Free Hospitality team who held up encouraging signs and gave us an endless supply of sparkling water.
The great British abolitionist, William Wilberforce, proved to the world that one man's actions can have a ripple effect that changes the world. He gave his life to fight against slavery, using every political and professional advantage he had to make a difference. He didn’t just change laws. He changed hearts, morality, and the cultural perception of slavery. He did what many said was impossible and he made "doing good fashionable."
That, in summary, is what a freedom hike is all about. We walked, not for ourselves, but for the dignity and intrinsic value of every human life. This week, I saw firsthand the ripple effect of individuals who chose to care. Teachers bringing in other educators. A daughter hiking with her dad. A wife inviting her husband into the mission. All invested. All determined. All changing the course of history.
Your story can change someone else’s story on the other side of the world. What are you waiting for? Join a Freedom Hike today.
Josh Henry
Atlas Free Supporter since 2016
