Hip, hip hooray for Marion!

If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again.

Ian and Marion journeyed from their home in Oxford, England in spring 2013 to tackle the 500-plus mile Camino de Santiago. We met them on our first day out from Pamplona, Spain and we quickly became friends, enjoying laughs and stories over coffee, drinks, and meals.

Like so many other Camino trekkers, Marion battled blisters. She doctored them each day, but they got worse and worse. More than most people, she was determined to conquer the Camino.

Then, she suffered a stress fracture of the shin, but continued to trudge on. Finally, after several hundred miles, she hit the wall. Sue and I were so sad when she and Ian returned home, but we were not nearly as disappointed as Marion was.

You see, Marion had tried and tried when many trekkers of all ages would have quit.

Last month, Marion laced up her boots to try again. She and Ian returned to finish their Camino, taking on the Galicia section, marked by many mountain climbs and descents as well as spectacular scenery.

We eagerly awaited Ian's eloquent e-mail reports and were happier than the Camino cuckoo birds when they made it to Santiago de Compostela.

But we were not surprised. We knew Marion would succeed.

I now raise my gin and tonic and say, “Cheers, Marion!”