Jennifer Lee Fura’s Ladies Offroad Challenge Experience

There were moments in my life I knew I would be forever changed. Things as I knew them would never be the same. I didn’t know the training weekend in Arizona with the Ladies Offroad Challenge would be one of them until I was able to reflect and realize all I had been through in 4 short days.

I flew across the country by myself, met nine other ladies, and had no idea what else to expect. It was go time as soon as I landed. I got back to the house and changed for our first challenge. We went to CREATE and made circuits to move a ball six inches. It was a great icebreaker to start talking and working with the ladies. Then, we wrenched in the garage all night learning the correct way to do recoveries.

I woke up early Friday morning feeling very nervous. I usually have a plan as soon as my feet hit the floor every day. One of the first things Charlene said was, “You are not a mom this weekend.” I had to sit back and just experience things as they came, no schedules, no plan. I toured 4 shops that day. Never knowing where I was going or who I was going to meet started to get exciting. I learned so much about trophy trucks and chase trucks. I have heard of them before, but I had no idea how big racing them was. I was live at every stop. At first, I had no idea what to say, and everything I planned on saying escaped me as soon as the camera was in my face. But that’s the thing about life; sometimes you just have to wing it! As the day went on I started feeling my anxieties go and learned to live in the moment, not worry about what’s next.

Then, there was wheeling in Sedona. I felt like I was looking at the backdrop of a movie. The scenery was like nothing I have ever seen. This was the most fun challenge on the trip for me. What made it so special was helping one of my new friends drive her Jeep through terrain she had never tried before. The smile and tears after she did it will stay with me forever. Shooting at the range was next. I hadn’t shot a gun in awhile, and it felt good to learn that I could still hit the bullseye.

I went kayaking for the first time on Sunday. I felt incredibly nervous and just didn’t want to fall in. Less than five minutes into the 14 mile trek, I hit the first set of rapids and went totally under! At least I got that out of the way quickly! But then I was able to relax, enjoy the wild horses all around and really think about everything in my life and how the last four days changed how I see myself. I don’t have to have control over everything all the time. I learned how to communicate better, how to listen, and adjust if things don’t go as planned.

After kayaking, we were able to relax at a surprise pool party with special guests. I remember feeling so happy and relaxed and overjoyed with my newfound confidence. I reluctantly entered a contest, made it to the top ten, and it changed my life. My son, Scotty (right arm amputee), is a motivational speaker. I say quite often to the groups of people he talks to, “One day, I hope to be as independent and confident as Scotty is.” That day was the day I landed back in New York.