In March, 5-year-old Wynn Radke of Minnesota came home from preschool with no idea that she wouldn’t return for months because of the novel coronavirus.
Once the realization (and boredom) set in, her mom Colleen challenged her to think of a goal to work toward that involved an outdoor activity. Wynn wasted no time and shouted, “67 waterfalls!” While the number was random, her mom loved the idea so much that she agreed to help the little one on her quest!
The adorable pair’s first adventure took place on March 28 at Fairy Falls, and it was amazing! From there, they continued hiking to different waterfalls, documenting their progress as they inched closer and closer to their goal.
Both Colleen and Wynn took their quest seriously. In fact, they traveled all over Minnesota and into Wisconsin to track down new locations, even camping overnight to reach some places!
Originally, Colleen said the challenge was simply a way to get Wynn outside instead of “just watching YouTube all day.”
But it ended up being something therapeutic for them to do amidst the struggles 2020 has brought their family. Between Wynn missing her friends, Colleen being furloughed from her job, and both of them coping with a recent divorce, the waterfall visits have helped immensely.
“I think it kept both of our minds off it,” Colleen added. “She could feel my stress during everything. I also think that it helped shield her from all the craziness going on.”
Not to mention, “It was just a really fun time for the two of us to bond and grow and heal together.”
It took Wynn and Colleen five months, but they finally reached Winnewissa Falls – their 67th waterfall – in August!
Upon reaching her goal, Wynn announced, “I did it!” And she wasn’t the only one who was excited. When she returned to school, her friends and teachers welcomed her with celebratory balloons!
For her wonderful mom, the adventure was less about the milestones and more about the time they spent together. “We had [so] much fun doing us, being us, and camping.”
Learn more about their journey in the video below, and don’t forget to share this story with your friends.
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