At Project Athena, we help Survivors of medical or traumatic setbacks live an adventurous dream as part of their recovery. Project Athena provides travel expenses, coaching, equipment, and most importantly, the encouragement and inspiration to help Survivors turn life’s setbacks into incredible comeback stories, and to find their inner badass again with a team of people just like them who understand and have experienced “the journey”.
This August 22-26, 2024, Project Athena will travel from Rim-to-Rim(-to-Rim?!) of the Grand Canyon! Starting on the South Rim the hike is about 24 miles to the North Rim, with an awesome 6,000-foot elevation gain, before stopping in rugged cabins for the night. On day 2, for those interested in hiking Rim-2-Rim-2-Rim, we’ll conquer another 20 miles on our unique route back to the South Rim, taking in incredible views on the final 5,000-foot climb out of the canyon.
We provide you with all the information you need, and coach you through a 20-week training plan, to ensure you are ready to tackle this great wonder of the world – we will be there with you every step of the way. Don’t wait! Our adventure team started training this week!
Project Athena currently offers four annual adventures for Survivors and Fundraisers, who travel as one big happy team every step of the way, offering mental and physical challenges in a supportive, non-competitive environment. At Project Athena, Gods and Goddesses (aka fundraisers) join with survivors on their epic, life-affirming adventure. Project Athena provides travel expenses, coaching, equipment, and incessant encouragement to make the life-affirming transition from Survivor to Athlete. From paddling the Florida Keys to hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim, Project Athena is about overcoming trauma through teamwork.
Project Athena was founded by Robyn Benincasa, a 2014 CNN Hero, San Diego Firefighter, ten-time Ironman Finisher, World Champion Adventure Racer, three-time Guinness Endurance Paddling World Record holder, and the proud owner of two bionic hips. After suffering her medical setback, Robyn founded the Project Athena Foundation to help other survivors realize it’s not about the setback, it’s about the comeback!
Robyn didn’t let four hip replacements stop her from living the adventurous life she was accustomed to, and she soon created the Project Athena Foundation to inspire every Survivor she encounters to realize that it’s not about the setback, it’s about the comeback!
"I can honestly say that the Project Athena Foundation has changed my life. This adventure, this challenge, and this group of incredible people was a real sense of therapy. Until now, I wasn’t aware that I even needed it. But sure enough, every hour of this journey threw in another form of emotion, or a deep strength I didn’t know I still had, and laughter, just so much laughter." - Emma Dale, 2020 Grand Canyon Adventure Trek.
Whether you’re a survivor who is ready to realize that life is about the comeback, not the setback; or you want to live your adventurous dreams while providing a survivor with this opportunity… visit ProjectAthena.org for more information, to apply for a grant, or to register for an event.
"I would have to say that this journey with Project Athena has been the most life-altering experience since my son was born. This adventure and the incredible group of people were the therapy I never knew I needed. It gave me a purpose that I so needed. The 16-week training plan held me accountable and pushed me through mental and physical barriers. It lit a fire under me to do something wonderful for myself and step out of my shell. This experience allowed me to meet the most amazing people that I will be lifelong friends with." - Christy Edwards, 2023 Harbor to Cove.
“It’s not about trying to get back to what you were,” explains Project Athena Founder and World Champion Adventure Racer, Robyn Benincasa. “It’s about trying to be the best of what you’re capable of today, this minute. The most gratifying thing is the moment when you see someone realize they’re going to make it, when you see the fear disappear and they realize how awesome they truly are!”
"Project Athena has deeply impacted my life. Beyond the physical challenge, it equipped me to overcome it. This experience with Project Athena also gave me the opportunity to develop mental and spiritual grit. I’m deeply thankful, and I feel this has opened the door of possibility for me and my future. So many things I had accepted as 'not-possible' are now being viewed by me as 'possible'!"- Rebecca Palmatier, 2018 San Diego Harbor to Harbor.
If you would like to find out more about Project Athena, please visit their Instagram page @projectathena_foundation or for more information you can find their main page at projectathena.org.
After stepping away from the Navy in 1985 to pursue civilian life, Don soon realized that the challenges, camaraderie, and sense of purpose within the SEAL Teams were irreplaceable. He returned to the Naval Special Warfare Community in 1988, sharpening his skills at the Defense Language Institute for Spanish before joining SEAL Team FOUR. His deployments took him across the globe, including missions in the Persian Gulf and Panama, where he served with Naval Special Warfare Unit EIGHT.
Today we want to share the story of our Founder and Chief Product Officer, Christian Meyers. He’s our Director of Media’s brother, close friend of our CEO and our Director of Communications, and an inspiration to everyone at Terra Arma.
He’s one of those people you can talk to for hours and you always learn something new in his presence. He’s also incredibly humble, so we’re honored to share his story to help you understand more about Terra Arma and our mission.