“The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.” - Hubert H. Humphrey. Justin is wheelchair bound and requires daily assistance because of a progressive neuromuscular disease. He had a wish of taking an ancient pilgrimage in Europe. The five-hundred-mile trek from France to Camino de Santiago, Spain would go through unfamiliar territory and he knew he would be pushing his limitations. His wish was transformed into reality by his childhood friend Patrick who agreed to be part of this challenging journey by positively declaring, “I’ll push you”. They finished the difficult five-hundred-miles journey while crossing several mountain ranges, rivers and the vast desert of Spain in 35 days. Justin has co-authored a book, "I’ll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends and One Wheelchair”. Justin and Patrick's remarkable story has been featured on NBC, Fox and Friends and Huffington Post.

You and your friend Patrick made the challenging journey of 500 miles from the southwest of France to the Cathedral in Santiago. Do you want to share a memorable moment from that journey?J: Oh, where do I begin? We have so many memorable moments that happened each day. One that really stands out is when we were in a very, small town (like 15 people), where we had stopped for the night. In this town, there was a tiny bar, a small church, and a little hotel. While we were in the bar grabbing some dinner, I noticed a wild-eyed Spanish woman at the end of the counter eating a drumstick ice cream cone. I looked over to Patrick and said, “Hey man, after dinner, could you grab me one of those?”
Right then, the woman locked eyes with me and came right over talking rapid-fire Spanish. Before I knew it, she shoved her already half-eaten ice cream cone into my mouth! I didn’t know what to do so I just ate it with her!
Patrick was laughing with each bite I was force-fed. Finally, I asked Patrick, “Are you going to help me?” He said, “Nope!” He just picked up the camera and took some pictures. He and our director, Terry, just laughed while she and I finished the cone.

What kind of challenges did you face during your journey? What assistance did you get from locals?J: We encounter challenges every single day! The very first day of our entire 500-mile pilgrimage, we had to climb the Pyrenees Mountains… in one day! If you watch our film or read our book, you will understand how hard that day was. It was a 17-mile day, 90% of it which was uphill through rocks, mud, and various trail conditions. It was one of the most difficult days we had on our pilgrimage for sure and it took us 13 and 1/2 hours to get to our destination. We received so much assistance from so many people along our journey. In fact, we lost count after 100+ people. Every single day somebody would come alongside and help us get through certain sections or give us advice on upcoming trail conditions. The locals, in particular, saved us from some serious headaches because they took the time to stop and help us, even if it was only for a brief minute or two.

Your friendship with Patrick is priceless. What are the two qualities of Patrick that you admire the most?J: One of the first qualities I deeply admire in Patrick is his loyalty. Over the past 42+ years, he has NEVER let me down. Ever. This is a quality that you hope to find in those closest to you… hopefully, I can be that for him too.
The second quality I admire is his humor. He constantly makes me laugh and we both find humor in the stupid stuff in life. His grandma once said, “If you can’t laugh at yourself, life is going to be a whole lot longer than you want it to be!”

What is the idea behind your co-authored book "I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair"? Who should read this book?J: This book is a memoir of our lives and our journey on the Camino. The book dives deep into our history together as friends as well as individuals, outlining the good, the bad, and everything in between. It unfolds as dual narratives with our life story and our Camino journey unfolding in parallel and eventually converging. If you’re looking to be challenged in your life and laugh a little bit along the way, then our book is perfect for you!

If you were to take another trip like your famous trip in Spain, where do you wish to go and why?J: I would love to answer this question but I can’t. We have something pretty major on the horizon that we are working on. This is MUCH bigger than our trip in Spain, but I’m not able to tell you about it at the moment. Sorry for being vague.

Who is your inspiration?J: First and foremost, I find inspiration in my wife and kids, but I’m also spiritual. I find inspiration in the beauty that God has created in the world we live in.

What are you other hobbies?J: I have a deep love of art and design, so I try to keep creative as much as possible. I also have a passion for wine tasting, drinking coffee, and traveling to as many places I can!

What do you like to do when you are with your family/friends?J: Mostly, I just like to hang out over a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, talking about life and laughing. I love spending time with my wife and my kids, going places, trying new foods, exploring, and building memories.

What tips/advice do you have for those in our community who want to explore unfamiliar places?J: I’d say the biggest thing that I’ve learned is to not let your circumstances get in the way of things you want to do! Every day on our 500-mile pilgrimage on the Camino was completely unfamiliar. We had to navigate unfamiliar trails, find food, and locate accessible accommodations in a country that is not exactly accessible. But I didn’t let that stop me from doing it! Sometimes you just have to break out of your shell and put yourself in unfamiliar situations. I can tell you that when you do, you will find that you are capable of accomplishing more than you think!

Any special message for our community?J: The disease that I have is progressive, so it gets worse over time. I now live life from a power wheelchair and am 98% dependent upon others for every aspect of my life from eating, to bathing, to assistance in the bathroom, to getting my clothes on, etc. Somehow through all of that, I’ve always looked at life through a creative lens and have tried to figure out how to do the things I love. It may look different than everyone else but I can tell you that no matter who you are or your walk in life, once you let others into your journey, you can accomplish pretty much anything!