Reality Rally

(Left: Andrea Austin, Right: Michael Lindsley)

Gillian called me on the phone this afternoon to relay a message that has long been on her heart to share. As you probably know if you have attended Reality Rally, the entire event feels like a family gathering—the comradery, joint effort, and enormous fun combine to make the experience truly bonding for everyone involved.

Over the past few years, Gillian has continued to see this family element grow and grow, and recently it became strikingly evident with the tragic passing of two of our dear volunteers, Michael Lindsley and Andrea Austin.

Michael in particular was one of our Challenge Checkpoint Captains for multiple years, stationed at the Stampede Challenge during the Reality Rally event in Old Town. Michael not only oversaw the challenge but always sought to improve upon it and make it more and more fun every year. Soon, the Stampede Challenge became Michael’s baby, and he transformed it into a full-fledged rodeo game for the competitors, complete with a mechanical bull. Sadly, Michael became extremely sick due to his cancer several months ago. When Gillian came to visit him, she could tell he didn’t have long. But did Michael let that change his excitement for Reality Rally? No, not at all. Gillian was deeply touched by the way Michael talked on and on excitedly about how he would run the Stampede Challenge this year, and how he could improve upon it even more.

He passed away only months shy of fulfilling his dream, but there’s still a silver lining in the cloud of his absence. Two months before he passed, Gillian called Michael to tell him that we will be specially naming the Stampede Challenge “Michael’s Rodeo” this year, complete with a banner to display the special title. And as we commemorate his diligent and enthusiastic work, we are reminded even more of the love and family bond that ALL participants in Reality Rally share. Because each and every volunteer is truly that—a volunteer. They aren’t paid to be involved, they become involved because they genuinely WANT to. And even when that means sacrificing time with family, or putting off work, these volunteers are right there with eager hands and open hearts.

This enthusiasm that each and every volunteer shares ties us together as one family—a Reality Rally family that transcends even death itself. Gillian continues to marvel at how if it weren’t for Reality Rally, she would never have been able to be a part of this family or to meet the hundreds of beautiful individuals involved. But thankfully, we know that Reality Rally did come about because God had a very specific plan for all of us—a plan for connection, healing, laughter, joy, and loads of fun. Everyone fits in, and everyone has a place, from the dedicated volunteers who shape Reality Rally to the yearly attendees of the event itself.

Though Gillian knows she is often considered the “face” of Reality Rally, she genuinely believes that Reality Rally could not and WOULD not exist without all of you—her family. And it all goes to show that ties of the heart can be even stronger than the ties of blood relation when it comes to being a family. As they say, brother from another mother, sister from another mister—and it’s true!

If you’d like to become a part of Reality Rally, visit our website at realityrally.com or give us a call (number also on website). We’d love to graft you into to our big happy family!

- Taryn Murphy