Reality Rally

Followers of Reality Rally know that we have had many stories we call "The Ripples of Reality Rally" on the blog. Those ripples could only begin because a seed was planted, which then grew into one of the limbs of our incredible Reality Rally event.

The next series of blog stories will be about those "seeds". We’ll start with the very first seed, which was planted in the jungle of Gabon...THE seed that started Reality Rally.

Gillian said, “I set a goal to get on the CBS TV reality show Survivor, so I tried for 8 years to get selected  never knowing what that drive and passion was all about but knew I had to make it and just knew I would if I never gave up trying and I did make it in 2008 at the age of 61. It all turned out that my goal was actually not to get on Survivor but to go through Survivor in order to have a much bigger goal.... to make a difference using what I would then have in my hands. When my "Survivor" flame was snuffed out by Jeff Probst, the flame of Reality Rally was ignited.

“I tried for 8 years, I played for 6 days, was booted second, lost 12 lbs and had 5 weeks of empty time to fill waiting to go home. My sequester was 2 hours away from the filming. It was in total isolation in a lovely "Robinson Crusoe"-like converted lighthouse on a hill, with endless jungle behind it and endless beach in front of it. Those first few days were spent feeling totally bummed at how my game had turned out and ended. Knowing there is always a reason for everything, I began looking for the reason of my 8 year quest.  I had taken my "Animal Spirit Guide" book  and cards by Steven Farmer as my "luxury item" so I took it to the beach to pull a card and see if the animal card pulled could somehow guide me. I was so bummed and not in a good place mentally to even see the message but what I did see was what has become Reality Rally. My daughter Kendra had "written" me a long hidden letter  from my family on the pages of the book by highlighting words with a dot and following the dots I had my "letter from home" which I clearly would not get while still playing in Survivor.

“Two parts of that long letter hit a chord. "we know you will always honor yourself" and I did by just not being able to say what I really was thinking about my tribe in those interviews. I was repeatedly asked "what do you think about your tribe"? and I just couldn't tell them what I was really thinking just to be good TV. The next part was that "Seed of Reality Rally".  I read "this is not the end for you, there is something much bigger waiting for you.". Well, what did that mean?  I spent the next 5 weeks walking 5 hours a day in the jungle and on the beach training for the Komen 60 mile walk on my return. The entire idea of what Reality Rally could be and what it could do just came to me. I now belonged to the Reality Star world. I love my town of Temecula and Michelle's Place Breast Cancer Resource Center. So how could I use what I now had to make a difference?

“I climbed off "my pity wagon", pulled that all together and  I called "my jungle vision" Reality Rally. It would all still be in my head in the jungle if it wasn't for hundreds of people  who have made it all possible. It does take a team to make a dream and that team is a City Council that supports us, a volunteer Production team that works tirelessly planning every component, hundreds of weekend volunteers, hundreds of  very generous sponsors, hundreds of Reality Stars, hundreds of generous donors and thousands of people who flock to town to have "Fun for Funds". That vision is going into its 6th year of production  and many seeds have been planted along the way enhancing the entire event and people's lives. When asked what we make, our answer is: "What we make is a difference and an impact in so many ways." Keep watching our blog to hear all about those seeds that have made a difference.”

On April 7th-9th 2016, we want YOU to please join us to see how you can be part of the hundreds that make a difference. There is something for everyone! Check out www.realityrally.com and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/realityrally .

- Taryn Murphy