Lindenwood Magazine - Fall 2022

20 21 FALL 2022 EDITION FALL 2022 EDITION THE LINDENWOOD THE LINDENWOOD Alumni THE GIVING COMMUNITY THE GIVING COMMUNITY A GREATER MISSION Jennifer Fear ’88, Eric Reinsfelder ’87, and Dave Tilden ’86 have joined forces for an incredible journey spanning the Appalachian Trail to raise awareness and support for Multiple Sclerosis and to impart a legacy that lives on for years to come. “My first steps on the Appalachian Trail were in October 2016. Earlier that year I’d been hospitalized after losing the use of my legs,” Fear said. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative autoimmune disease attacking the central nervous system, Fear was determined to fight. “As a way of pushing back against MS, I did my first long-distance hike— a 76-mile section of the Appalachian Trail through the Smoky Mountains, followed by a thru-hike of Missouri’s 230-mile Ozark Trail in 2020.” Fear wasn’t going to stop there and began to consider what it would take to hike the entirety of the Appalachian Trail. “I knew what I’d be asking of my body and that to do it, I needed a much bigger ‘why’ than just me. I wanted to raise awareness and funds to fight a disease affecting some 1 million people in the U.S. A ground crew came together to support the project, college friends Dave Tilden and Eric Reinsfelder among them, and FEARSOME is the result.” After nearly two years of conversation and planning, they’re ready. 2,194 miles of trail stand before Fear, who will be joined by Tilden as her hiking partner and on-trail chef. Reinsfelder will also be supporting the hike, helping to coordinate and plant the journey—reuniting college friends from more than 30 years ago for a greater cause. “Lindenwood afforded us the opportunity to bond with friends that we have now known for much longer than we were old at the time. Family. Our friendships are so deep and meaningful that we still stay connected and support each other,” Reinsfelder shared. The three have many fond memories from their years at Lindenwood—Fear remembers her nights competing as a soccer player under the lights and working in the KCLC studio, while Reinsfelder recalls basketball games, a late-night concert on the turf that rolled over into the old Butler Dome, and Tilden “making us the best breakfasts on Saturday mornings.” In addition to making a memorable breakfast for others, Tilden’s favorite memory was the sense of family with the students who lived together. “Lindenwood provided us the ability to explore who we were, who we wanted to be and forge unbelievable relationships. When we are young, we don’t really think about what challenges our lives may bring. The world is our oyster and we feel we can conquer anything, but sometimes, life gives us twists and turns, but it is not always the things that come your way, but it is how you react to the things that maybe don’t go according to plan. I believe that Lindenwood prepared us well for life,” Reinsfelder said. ERIC REINSFELDER The world is our oyster and we feel we can conquer anything, but sometimes, life gives us twists and turns, but it is not always the things that come your way, but it is how you react to the things that maybe don’t go according to plan. I believe that Lindenwood prepared us well for life JENNIFER FEAR As a way of pushing back against MS, I did my first long-distance hike—a 76-mile section of the Appalachian Trail through the Smoky Mountains, followed by a thru-hike of Missouri’s 230-mile Ozark Trail in 2020. The trio will kick off the project in 2023 and invite the Lindenwood community to follow the journey online, reach out to Lindenwood friends to connect, or even join Fear and Tilden as a Guest Hiker for a leg of the adventure.