march 5.1399 » i - « « - . 7
fTTJÌTl new s
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No M ountain H igh E nough
ooking forward to climbing carries
me beyond my present limitations. I
focus myself away from my illness to
the peak of the mountain,” explains
Gregory Fowler. “It gets me up in Team Quest offers challenges and community
the morning to down the necessary pills, eat a
to combat illness and despair by Shona Dudley
grxxl breakfast and go to the gym.”
That motivation has helped the 40-year-old
Portlander through several serious battles with
about playing sports,” he says. “It’s a team of
“Team Quest welcomes everyone and any­
AIDS, and sustained him as he struggled to the
people with something in common to over­ one— all skill levels can come and play,” he says.
summits of Mount Hood, Mount Adams and
come. They support you when you struggle and
“That makes it a nonthreatening way for people
Mount St. Helens.
celebrate with you when you succeed.”
to get out, have fun and meet people.”
Now Fowler and 12 other climbers from
Homstein credits Team Quest’s other recre­
Williams, 33, an art student, plays center
Team Quest— an athletic program for people
ational activities with helping him regain
field on the Team Quest softball team and
facing life-challenging illnesses— are setting
enough strength and endurance to begin train­ coaches the volleyball team, and now Brooks
their sights on majestic Mount Rainier, the
ing for the Mount Rainier climb.
has talked him into climbing Mount Rainier
toughest endurance climb in the
with her.
contiguous 48 states.
“We go backpacking and hiking together,
At least 10 of the climbers will
and she asked me if I wanted to go,” he says.
be people living with HIV and
“It’s a great challenge. It forces me to commit
AIDS. Many of the people who
to doing something every day to improve my
have signed up so far have little
health.”
to no alpine climbing experience.
The challenge of setting and achieving phys­
“T hat’s just part of the chal­
ical goals over the next several months moti­
lenge for me,” says Aaron Hom-
vates other climbers, too. Aaron Knecht says
stein, one of the novice climbers.
he hopes the climb will reaffirm his belief
“This climb is a major goal, and
that he can achieve a normal life span. But
by focusing on it and working
he points out that the last leg of the climb
toward it, I’ll succeed even if I
depends on mental toughness, not physical
don’t make it to the top.”
fitness.
Homstein, 32, was put on an
“To keep climbing you’ve got to will yourself
experimental cocktail of drugs
to keep going,” he says. “If I can do that, I can
three and a half years ago and
do anything.”
sent home to die. Thing is, he
Knecht, 37, a chiropractor, and his partner,
A
recent
Team
Quest
dance
class
didn’t, and the drugs are still
Andrew Fletcher, also 37 and a network
working today.
manager for a major trucking company, will
“I came back from the brink,” he says. “Every
“It got me out of the house and involved
be training and climbing together. Knecht has
day is a gift.”
with people,” he says. “That’s incredibly impor­ been living with HIV since 1985, while Fletch­
Fowler, on the other hand, has had little suc­ tant. And doing something fun— volleyball,
er only recently learned that he is living with
cess with his drug regimens. He is currently tak­ bowling and racquetball— got me moving. I’ve
the virus. Both men maintain their health
ing 14 drugs, trying to find a combination that
been slowly gaining back muscle mass. My sta­ through a program of nutrition, immune system
mina has been slowly building up and my lung support, chiropractic care, acupuncture and
will help increase his red blood cell count.
“To be honest, I might have to drop out or be
capacity is coming back.”
other wellness strategies. Fletcher is creating a
an alternate. O f all the people signed up for this,
Team Quest hopes to field two softball teams
Web site that will include the program the duo
my health is the most precarious,” he candidly
during the upcoming season, and other pro­ follow and their progress as they train for the
admits. “But damn it, I’m going to go for it. I’m grams include weekly dance and fitness classes,
climb.
working with my doctor to stay as healthy as
volleyball and bowling, as well as occasional day
"Project Quest’s philosophy is that you’re not
possible and I’m training for this climb.”
hikes and overnight camping trips.
limited because you’re HIV-positive,” Fletcher
Robin Brooks, a therapist at Project Quest,
Ken Ballard, Team Quest’s founder, says says. “What better way to prove it than by
says that kind of attitude makes Team Quest a
plans are also underway for a week of backpack­ climbing a mountain.7”
natural extension of Project Quest’s mission
ing in Utah and a sea-kayaking trip off Admi­
For those with less lofty goals, Williams offers
statement. Project Quest is a nonprofit organiza­ ralty Island, Alaska, a place he dubs “home to a different challenge: "Come try one of Team
tion providing community-building, personal
the largest concentration of grizzlies and bald
Quest’s activities— that’s how I got hooked. If
growth and immune function enhancement
eagles in the world!”
you’re not doing anything Wednesday night,
programs for people affected by chronic or life-
come and watch a volleyball game. Same with
He says, “We live in the Pacific Northwest.
threatening illnesses like breast cancer and HIV.
softball— come and see what we’re all about.
Obviously, we need to be outdoors.”
“We believe in the healing power of commu­
Lusijah Marx, Project Quest’s co-founder What have you got to lose?”
nity,” she says. “When people come together
and now its voluntary clinical director, says she
through sports and teamwork, the results are
was surprised at how enthusiastic everyone was ■ For more information about T eam QUEST, call
Project Quest at 493-0288 or Ken Ballard at
amazing and very powerful.”
about Team Quest right from the start. But Tad
Williams isn’t surprised.
Homstein agrees. “Team Quest isn’t just
412-6530, or send e-mail to oldsLKupch@aol.com.
An innovative marketer
and Buyer’s Agent who
listens to your needs
W
il l a m e t t e
M
o r t g a g e
S
e r v ic e s
, I
n c
P romoting
E mpowerment
B
uilding community and building con­
sciousness of health and well-being
permeates everything we do," says Lusijah
Marx, Project Quest’s co-founder and volun­
teer clinical director.
She points to the project’s weekly
Wednesday night dinners as a good exam­
ple. While providing hands-on nutrition
classes geared to specific dietary needs of
people with HIV and AIDS, the dinners
also build community. People who are curi­
ous about Project Quest are encouraged to
come, meet people and get their questions
answered while they help prepare and enjoy
a healthy meal.
“Project Quest is about empowerment
and self-knowledge and community,” says
Tad Williams. “It helps me focus on my own
well-being. It’s a good place to tap into a lot
of services and help myself.”
Programs and services include guided
imagery sessions, stop-smoking programs,
stress reduction, and body and energy work.
Groups focus on health management, spiri­
tual renewal, chronic illness and pain man­
agement, and more. Project Quest also offers
quarterly sweat lodges and occasional work­
shops and retreats.
Project Quest collaborates with practi­
tioners to offer acupuncture, Chinese medi­
cine, naturopathic medicine and massage.
Veteran participants and volunteers act
as mentors, helping newcomers decide
which groups to join and which services to
use.
“It was really important that I crossed
paths with Project Quest,” says Aaron
Homstein. “At a time I was really sick and
becoming a recluse, they drew me out. They
got me involved and meeting people. They
make you look in the mirror and be honest
with yourself, and they surround you with
love and support. It truly is a community.”
Project Quest is located at 3117 N.E.
Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR
97212. For more information, call 493-0288
or fax 493-0289.
■ Reported by
.
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E-mail: marvin(a)spiritone com
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