Daniel Gittelman- Zell am See (Student's Choice)

 Zell am See is an incredibly beautiful town in Salzburg, Austria. I had the privilege of going there for my mom’s Half Ironman competition. This is most certainly the most amazing place I have ever been to, and it is only second to Greenville, West Virginia, for the most sacred place I’ve experienced.

I found the location sacred because of the charm of the town and the history around us. I remember throwing a frisbee with my cousin outside the house we were staying in and feeling a sort of peace unmatched by similar activities back home. This was because of my surroundings, which were truly enchanting. Although it wasn’t within the town itself, the history we learned about in the surrounding areas contributed to the journey being sacred. We visited the salt mines and Kehlsteinhaus. The latter has a very negative history, but the educational aspect of these trips made me feel that this journey was sacred because there is a peaceful element to learning. Knowledge answers questions, easing the mind, and providing the peace that is so crucial to making a place sacred.


Even more significant than my experience is my mom's experience of her race. Although I’m unsure whether she would describe it as sacred, I find it amazing that she accomplished such a feat. I compare her competition to pilgrimages such as the Queretaro pilgrimage to Guadalupe, which Victor and Edith L.B. Turner describe in their book Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture as a journey where devotees go on foot for over 260 kilometers (95). My mom’s Half Ironman race is a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. Although this adds up to 113.13 kilometers compared to the 260 kilometers traveled during the Queretaro pilgrimage to Guadalupe, it is still extremely impressive. During that excruciatingly long distance, I feel that my mom must’ve focused on her surroundings, experiencing flow, at some point in order to keep herself going.

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