One mission, one mountain, 13 times, 29,029 feet

Bryan Logemann will be climbing Mount Everest without leaving the United States.

Or at least, the Air Force veteran and American Legion member will be hiking 29,029 feet uphill, the equivalent of the climb up Mount Everest, as part of the Everesting Challenge series, Aug. 10-14, at Snowbasin, Utah. Logemann and other participants will hike about 2.3 miles up the mountain and take a gondola back to base camp, then repeat for a total of 13 times.

“When I was younger I went to Cimarron, New Mexico, and hiked at Philmont,” he explained. “I've done that twice and I've always wanted to do more of a hiking event. I'm not a runner. The mountain is the equalizer, so it doesn't matter if you're a pro athlete or somebody who's never done a 5K before, it's you against you.”

The physical aspect is one thing, the mental component is another. Hiking gives Logemann some peace of mind, and ties in with The American Legion’s Be the One initiative to reduce the rate of veteran suicide through promoting awareness, resources and physical activities.

“With this physical challenge, you're going to get tired when you break down,” says Logemann, who will be transporting an American Legion Be the One flag throughout his climb. “You're going to have mental breakdowns. You're going to cry. I've cried multiple times out on roads out here, about situations that I'm thinking of that I've went through in my past. It's time to resolve them. Why am I still hanging onto them and what am I looking forward to?”

When Logemann starts his quest, he sees its completion as a commitment.

“We've all gone through situations, through life, through service, through the country, through helping with American Legion events,” said Logemann, the finance officer for Post 725 in Treynor, Iowa. “Sometimes things don't go right. I can't wait to have the camaraderie I had in the service, with the people who are going through the struggle. We've all had those struggles through our training with the military, and out fighting with the service. We build those bonds and I can't wait to build bonds with people I've never met.”

Logemann has demonstrated his ability to Be the One when it mattered most to a comrade.

“I've had tough conversations with coworkers,” he said. “Somebody I worked with very closely was a Navy veteran. I'm an Air Force veteran. We just built that bond. We worked hard together. One day I went into work and something was wrong. Her daughter had come back from deployment and committed suicide. Being able to have that pre-bond, she was able to have that conversation with me. it was very meaningful to me.”

During his time in the Air Force, Logemann gained weight, which has been a challenge for him in multiple ways.

“It hurt me,” he admitted. “Now I'm trying to lose the weight and also change my thought process. How do I change the negative aspect we have in the world to being more positive? I might have difficulty scheduling a VA appointment, but I scheduled it. I might not be able to do five miles today. Maybe it's a walk today, but I'm doing it. I have to make the commitment to myself to complete the task.”

Participants who complete the Snowbasin event or others in the series in under 36 hours receive a special red hat.

“When I go up that mountain for the last time and put on my red hat at the end, it'll be inspiring to me to know the impact that I'm going to make to other guys and ladies out there,” he said. “It's also to help the younger generation know they’re going to go through difficulties. You're going to go through struggles, but you can fight through and be victorious. I'm a dad of three kids. They have to see me struggle. Without seeing me struggle, they can't be victorious.”