Triathlete Annette (Martiny) Snedaker’s feet have swum, biked and run too many miles to count. In October, her blog entry about failing to finish a sprint triathlon engaged 22,000 visitors who celebrated the spirituality she finds in her sport. Mt. Irenaeus friar Br. Joe Kotula knows exactly how many miles he’s hiked on the Appalachian Trail over 10 years and 16 vacations: 2,190. Regardless of ground covered, both have the same partner — their faith — when they lace up their shoes.

Annette (Martiny) Snedaker, ’03

Once a Bonnie, always a Bonnie. The Franciscan Brown runs deep, whether up on a mountain praying or on a triathlon course racing. I have come to forever treasure the values of humility, peace and justice instilled in me while I was a student at St. Bonaventure. Now, 15 years later, as a writer, speaker and triathlete, the Brown comes rushing through.

My spirituality is a part of any swim, bike or run, just like my watch and sneakers. I pray during workout sessions or listen to spiritual podcasts, sometimes tucking myself away in the corner of my gym.

Some have said, “Annette, you could be faster at this sport!” I respond with, “Yes, I know, but if I go faster, I might lose the point of doing it, which is to experience any run, bike or swim as a gift from God. And who wants to rush through the opening of a gift and miss what is inside?”

I savor each workout and each race because even having a body and mind fit enough to begin is a gift I don’t take lightly.

I’m a spiritual athlete, noticing the hue of the sunrise during an open water swim, the whisper of God’s amazing grace on a long ride, or the joy of friendship on a morning jog. It is all a gift and even inside me, a triathlete, is a quest to see, listen and experience God’s power all around me — through my own perseverance, the camaraderie I build with others, and the beauty of the great outdoors.

To read Snedaker’s blog post “The Race I Didn’t Finish” and find out why thousands were touched by her story, go to writespeakengage.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-race-i-didnt-finish.html.

Br. Joe Kotula, O.F.M.

Long distance hiking is a powerful way to become aware of one’s spiritual path in life. I like this definition of spirituality:
(spĭr″ĭ-choo-ăl′ĭ-tē) [ME.]
An awareness of the metaphysical, the religious, or the sublime. In practice, spirituality includes participation in organized religion, contemplation, meditation, prayer, reflection and activities fostering self-growth and connections with others and with nature.

Every year I needed to contemplate my journey: Who was willing to help me, who wanted to hike with me, and did I want to continue (especially as I am getting older)? Reflecting on many friends that helped was a motivation.

Long-distance hiking is difficult. The weather can change in a minute from rain to sun to storm to high winds, and blisters or other physical difficulties can develop.

So why continue? Hiking has always given me a deep connection with God through creation, friends and others on the trail.

Thomas Merton says it in a way that resonates with me. “Recognize the primacy of the issue of the self. He exemplifies the advantages of spiritualities’ method of staying close to experience in all explanations and testing past assumptions against one’s critical reflection upon experience.”

I learned many things about myself and my relationships with others and creation. I often assumed how I would act in certain situations and discovered that I did not act like I thought I would.

At the Mountain we practice a Franciscan way of Remember, Reflect and Respond. Try it out and see what effect it will have on your life.

Visit www.mounti.com to learn more about Fr. Joe’s 10-year journey to complete the trail in an interview with alumna Amy Moritz.