Hello, Oldguyrunning here.
I wanted to take this moment to send a final message.

From as far back as I remember, I was broken.

Parts felt missing. Always the square peg trying to fit in a round hole.
I tried my best to keep up and be “ Normal”, but deep down, I knew that was an impossible goal.
As my journey went on, life did it’s best to throw as much as it could to beat me down. I too ,did my part to try and destroy myself through many years of addiction. I became quite successful that.
Still broken.

But because of the love from my 3 daughters, I was able to be strong enough to break free from the cycle of addiction that has been in my family for many generations.
But after quitting drinking, I immediately found myself in a new, weird dimension. After being a drunk for 30 years, I had zero life coping skills.

Then my daughter Sarah, convinced me to become a runner. I didn’t want to, but she nagged me into it.

That first step, was the portal from this odd dimension that had become my lifelong reality.
I didn’t know at the time , how profound that first step was for me.
Life had conditioned my self esteem to brain wash me into believing that I COULDN’T accomplish this!

It took days, but when I finally ran my first mile without stopping, I felt an inner jubilance that was unprecedented!
I broke through a ceiling that I though was made of steel, but in reality wasn’t even there!

After a while, Sarah gave me a training plan for running a half marathon. I committed. I didn’t think I could do it, but I never break a promise to my daughters, so I gave it a whirl.
I thought it would make a funny story. “ Hey, remember that time I thought I could train for a half marathon ?”

After crossing that finish line of that half marathon, another ceiling disappeared. Another new level of my self esteem appeared triumphantly!

Like many others I vowed to do another race. And also like many others, I got the “ In between race blues” .
At that time, @slambooy was pushing a 5K a day challenge. As a newbie, I didn’t think had it in me to run everyday. So I asked him if I could do a different version of the challenge as long as it added up to the monthly distance of 5K a day( 93.3 miles) Sam agreed, and the Tinman challenge was born!
I was absolutely shocked when I completed this goal. Another ceiling vanished before my eyes!

It was at this time that I was starting to fully understand the word “Challenge”. I Then wondered if I could keep evolving. I scribbled out a plan for 150 miles and called it” Bigfoot”. Boom! Another ceiling gone! Then Madman, Cyberlex, and Traveling man! 3 more ceilings gone in a flash.

With each level accomplished, large deposits were made into my bank of self esteem!
This brand new me gave me an entirely new positive outlook on what is accomplishable in out lives.
The positive energy I was sending out to the world seem to boomerang right back at me ten fold! Whereas my previous live was loaded with roadblocks, this new world was opening up a smorgasbord of good fortune. It appears my attitude was like a magic wand. I was now starting to understand that happiness truly DOES come from within.

I wanted to share this “ Magic”, so I offered up these challenges here on Instagram. At that moment, Challengeville was born. You know the rest.

These past few years I have been blessed to have witnessed many many people share in the joy that challengeville had to offer.
I have received many direct messages from such wonderful people who have told me the positive influence that Challengeville has had on their lives.
This filled my heart with brilliant joy, and again , another ceiling I never knew existed vanished in mid air, and I am left with fantastic infinity .

I would like to thank my 3 daughters @sheaehresman , @emilypierce, and @sarahcpierce for their assistance , devotion,and creativity since the beginning of challengeville and especially Sarah , who as you know took over as creative director , and did a wonderful job, and took a great load off me.

I also would like to thank ALL of the Challengeville City council members , past and present for devoting so much of their time to help inspire all of the challengers all these years. I will FOREVER be in your debt . You are all wonderful people. And I KNOW that Karma will reward you 100 fold, for all of the love that you have given.

Thank you to @teamigotyaback for featuring me on your website, which helped me getting the challengeville ball rolling.
In closing,  I wish to spread the message that our own insecurities build these “ boxes” that confine us.
We hold the ‘Key” to our “imprisonment” by realizing that these ceilings that keep us from evolving are not really there.
I hope that you continue to live out the Challengeville motto. “Accomplish what you think you can’t” .

I  am happy to tell you,  I am no longer broken.
Love,
Barto