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4 | November 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger news<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
6<br />
VERMONT<br />
CEMETERY<br />
Lincoln-Way Central coach takes<br />
illustration by Nancy Burgan/22nd century media<br />
Plainfield<br />
Shorewood<br />
8<br />
7<br />
Channahon<br />
LAKE<br />
RENWICK<br />
9<br />
Bolingbrook<br />
5 ISLE A<br />
LA CACHE<br />
ROCK RUN<br />
GREENWAY<br />
TRAIL<br />
Rockdale<br />
MCKINLEY WOODS<br />
FREDERICKS GROVE<br />
Elwood<br />
Romeoville<br />
Joliet<br />
10<br />
Wilmington<br />
Lockport<br />
Fairmont<br />
80<br />
Lemont<br />
171<br />
7<br />
4<br />
WAUPONSEE<br />
GLACIAL<br />
TRAIL<br />
MESSENGER<br />
WOODS<br />
Homer<br />
Glen<br />
New<br />
Lenox<br />
Manhattan<br />
52<br />
3<br />
83<br />
Mokena<br />
Coley O’Connell completes nature hike<br />
challenge in single day<br />
HICKORY<br />
CREEK<br />
BIKEWAY<br />
45<br />
Frankfort<br />
43<br />
Tinley Park<br />
294<br />
T.J. Kremer III, Editor<br />
2<br />
THORN<br />
CREEK<br />
Monee<br />
Crete<br />
57 Beecher<br />
Peotone<br />
94<br />
1<br />
PLUM CREEK<br />
GREENWAY<br />
TRAIL<br />
90<br />
Some people love a challenge. When people or circumstances<br />
tell those people they cannot do something, they just<br />
go ahead and do it anyway.<br />
Lincoln-Way Central teacher and boys bowling coach Coley<br />
O’Connell is just such a person.<br />
He’s been passionate about being in nature since his early<br />
childhood, when he was taking nature hikes in fifth and sixth<br />
grade with his Lutheran bible camp.<br />
“Since then, it’s kind of my relief just to be out in nature,<br />
and my stress reliever just to get away,” O’Connell said. “...<br />
Just to not think about your job and just think about nature.<br />
Or, to even think about your job but in a different way as<br />
you’re walking and it’s peaceful… You’re not in a stressful<br />
situation. It’s a relief. It’s a good way to de-stress.”<br />
So, when O’Connell suffered a heart attack brought on by<br />
his diabetes in 2014, it was a pretty sure bet that wasn’t going<br />
to stop the avid hiker from getting back out and doing what<br />
he loves.<br />
This past October, O’Connell decided to take the Forest<br />
Preserve of Will County’s 10 trail hike challenge. No big<br />
deal, right?! A seasoned hiker, such as O’Connell, should be<br />
able to do that.<br />
But, O’Connell wouldn’t be satisfied with just completing<br />
the challenge; he would finish the challenge in one day<br />
.<br />
A little warm up<br />
Prior to attempting the Forest Preserve’s challenge,<br />
O’Connell went and did something over the summer that had<br />
always been a goal of his: complete the Appalachian Trail<br />
hike, which consists of hiking across 14 states.<br />
Diamond<br />
Braidwood<br />
Godley<br />
Braceville<br />
50<br />
1<br />
17<br />
Photos submitted