WESTPORT — A passion for hiking, inspired by the father he loves, has prompted a local man to turn his interest toward aiding a cause that’s come close to home.
On March 30, Ben Shmaruk, 22, a Staples High School graduate and current gap-year senior at Lafayette College, will embark on a five-month solo hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.
He’ll cover the 2,650-mile route from the top of Mexico to the bottom of Canada all alone in order to raise money for, and generate awareness around, a new nonprofit his family has created to help spur and support research into the early prevention of pancreatic cancer — PCT4PC.
“He has a tremendous love of the outdoors,” said his father, Alan Shmaruk, who was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer on September 26, 2019, and continues to undergo treatment.
In fact, Alan Shmaruk, a longtime Westporter, was instrumental in nurturing his son’s passion for hiking, taking Ben Shmaruk and his sister on numerous hikes starting when they were very young.
“He actually suggested that I take the year off and do it,” said Ben Shmaruk, who is studying civil engineering.
Alan Shmaruk recalled one remarkable incident when Ben Shmaruk was five years old and they hiked up Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. When they reached the top, he slumped to the ground and began crying.
Asked by his father what was wrong, the boy replied, “This is so easy,” fretting he would never find hikes to challenge him.
But with his father’s help he did — dozens upon dozens of hikes across the world that they’ve done together, including trails in Peru, New Zealand, and more locally, about 20 trips up and down Breakneck Ridge in Cold Spring, N.Y.
“I just love getting out there and being in remote areas far from anywhere — the peace and serenity of it,” Ben Shmaruk said. “Plus good scenery is always a big plus.”
He thought about doing the PCT for several years, but with the coming of COVID — and the turn to online classes at his school — he saw this as the perfect opportunity to make it happen and took a gap year.
“If it wasn’t for COVID this never would have happened,” Alan Shmaruk said.
Ben Shmaruk said this particular trail holds an incredible draw for him, with deserts and mountains through the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges offering a breadth of diversity and beauty.
“PCT would all be new to me, and plus it’s just generally more scenic and more diverse as a trail,” he said, compared to the Appalachian Trail, parts of which he has already hiked.
His decision to embark on the hike came in tandem with his idea to create PCT4PC, aided in the undertaking by his mother, Dawn Shmaruk, and his sister, Julianna Shmaruk, 19.
“We’ve been talking about wanting to do something for pancreatic cancer and this just seemed to be the perfect way to kick it off,” Dawn Shmaruk said.
Organization of the nonprofit will be a family affair, particularly this first season as the hike serves as its focal point for fundraising and awareness.
“It was an idea to raise money for a while and it just seemed to go together naturally,” Dawn Shmaruk said. “We want to continue it on after this hike, so we’re looking at this as a starting point.”
Julianna Shmaruk, a Lafayette sophomore who will be handling the social media aspects as Ben Shmaruk proceeds on his journey, said the family has rallied around the cause.
“This topic is obviously very close to our family because we’ve been going through it with my dad and supporting him through it, so we’re just all very passionate about it,” she said.
While she noted her father has been lucky in his ability to bounce back with ongoing treatment, “we’ve heard a lot of things about people that haven’t been as lucky,” she said.
The family plans to donate the money to fund an early detection research study Dr. Richard Frank, Alan Shmaruk’s doctor at Whittingham Cancer Center, is leading.
Dawn Shmaruk noted that early detection studies have a much harder times garnering funds, though the value of the work is obvious.
“It’s definitely helped bring my family together … Our spirits have actually been really high, so that’s a good thing, but obviously it’s a tough situation,” Ben Shmaruk said, adding his father’s attitude has been “super positive.”
Meanwhile Ben Shmaruk has been preparing for what he hopes will be a hike in which he maintains an average of 30 miles per day once he gets up to pace.
He’ll have the essentials with him, including a tent and sleeping bag, rain gear, and food, but little else in order to keep his pack to around 30 pounds.
“There are towns along the way, so I’ll stop in and have days off here and there,” said Ben Shmaruk. And while he’ll officially be alone, he described it as “a pretty social trail,” offering the potential to meet other hikers.
“I know that he’s very prepared and he’s very experienced with the outdoors, but this is the biggest thing that he’s ever done with hiking, so of course part of me is nervous and scared for him,” said Juliana Shmaruk.
His parents echoed some of those concerns.
“I’m not going to say that I’m not a little worried because there are places where he could run into some difficult conditions, but I’m just really proud of him for following his dream and doing it,” said Dawn Shmaruk. “And I know that he has experience and I know he’s capable.”
His father agreed.
“He going to be out in the quasi-wilderness, so I have some concerns,” Alan Shmaruk said, “but I’m not that worried. Ben’s a very capable guy.”
To follow Ben Shmaruk’s progress, or to learn more about PCT4PC, visit www.PCT4PC.com.
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