April Scheel - Making Her Own Way
If I can hike 1,000 miles since Covid with these legs, I can do anything. -April
We hope you enjoyed our mini-series on Inspiring Women Starting a Business the last four posts! Strong Girls Travel is, and has always been, about women getting out of their own way to “travel” into the brave, intimidating thing that they are facing. The idea of “travel” isn’t always about road tripping or camping - but it is about getting out of our heads, out of the box, and out of the way in order to become our truest selves.
And with that, I’m honored to introduce you to April Scheel. Even though April is a two-time Special Olympics medal winner (2013, 200m & 400m Freestyle Swim), April has decided to tackle a goal that many would say is impossible. April is determined to mentally conquer the entirety of Wisconsin’s 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail even while her body competes with cerebral palsy to physically conquer it. And we at Strong Girls Travel could not be more impressed with her dedication.
April grew up on a farm in Wisconsin with a family who never treated her any differently because of her CP. She remembers having to do the same chores as everyone else and having to “figure out how to do it.” It was those early lessons in being flexible and learning to self-accommodate that would help her out even now. When walking around her neighborhood became boring during Covid, it also grew crowded. April remembers being bumped into by someone on the sidewalk and wanting the space that the Dane County park system offered. Her curiosity with the county parks started with, “Oh, what’s that? Let me try that path!” and naturally grew into a state park sticker to continue exploring.
That state park sticker grew into a love for the outdoors that April never saw coming. She grew aware of a connection to the earth that exists on trails more than it does on pavement. April recalls, “I found pieces of my true self there. Nature was where I felt most at home, the most grounded.” She continued discovering new places to explore, including Wisconsin’s beautiful waterfall collection. April remembers wanting to see Stephen’s Falls at Governor Dodge State Park and getting a bit lost on the way. But her inner connection on trail helped her to tap into that gut feeling she had to trust to get where she wanted to go. She not only found her way, but she ran into a stranger that day who heard her story of exploration with CP. That stranger’s reaction? “Forget that. You don’t have CP. You’re a badass!”
April was starting to learn then that she is not defined by her disability, but by her abilities to conquer whatever she chooses to take on. She started learning about cooler places to explore through the Women Hiking Wisconsin Facebook group. And that’s when she grew more intrigued by the Ice Age Trail. She started to research the route. At first, she thought it would be too narrow to hike with her gait and her poles. But using online resources such as the Ice Age Trail Alliance group, the Thousand Miler WannaBe group, and the experience of previous IAT thru-hikers like Emily Ford, she learned that it was very possible to complete. She could do the trail not as a thru-hike, but she could “conquer the trail in my own way” as segments.
And so, she started her journey on June 10, 2023, and newspapers jumped to tell her story. April admits she is not really a planner, but this comes from years of knowing that one way might not work out and she’ll have to adjust anyway. But she did learn that walking on trails was better for her body than walking on sidewalks, and she was able to accomplish more in a day than she thought she could. So, she plotted out the segments and decided to take on one at a time. She also has been learning to listen well to her body signs and take needed breaks. Sometimes friends or family will join her on segments, but she is also okay doing some portions as a solo hiker.
April admits that the biggest hurdle to her current goal of hiking the entire IAT will be her body. She is constantly learning new things about her CP and body mechanics, and she has had to adjust to what she calls an “age difference” between her body and brain. She needs to add about 4-6 years onto most timelines, as her body pauses what her brain knows she can do. Finding that balance is her biggest hurdle to overcome.
But that is a doable challenge, and one she has been working through her entire life. April teaches us that in order to beat our mental or physical battles, we need to take it “one step at a time; one moment at a time.” We can learn from every single moment, and what we learn can help someone else to get through their own challenge. More than anything, April wants this goal to inspire others to take on their own. With each segment, April grows her interconnectedness to nature and reminds herself, “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t supposed to be.” This powerful mindset helps her to find purpose and motivation in each segment of the trail and with each person she encounters along the way.
So where is April heading next? Well, she just completed the Baraboo Segment this weekend, marking her current IAT mileage at just over 46 miles. She has plans to take on more segments with the Mammoth Hike Challenge in October, but also recognizes that at this point, her journeys are a bit stunted by her driving capabilities. April has a GoFundMe running now to help her purchase a Subaru Forrester which would allow her to extend her map and conquer segments that are too far away to do in a day trip.
April reminds us through her words and her actions that whatever your current goal is, whatever brave, intimidating thing is staring you in the face, it is accomplishable. However you have to adjust to make your goals happen, you can do it in your own way. “If I can hike 1,000 miles since Covid with these legs, I can do anything,” April says. Be brave. Be strong. Be inspired by your own challenge and then inspire those you meet along the way.
