Machu Picchu, Kerrville, and 12 Years of Odyssey

Ellie McKenzie • August 4, 2025

Machu Picchu, Kerrville, and 12 Years of Odyssey

by Ellie Bishop McKenzie

Machu Picchu – Day 4: We Finally Arrive

This one was tough to write.

Just after we completed this life-changing trek, and I was writing this blog, devastating floodwaters swept through Kerrville, TX, taking lives and shaking our community with the deaths of so many people we all loved and cared for. This hit me even harder because my two daughters went to Camp Waldemar on that same river. I remember waking up every morning and jumping on the computer to sort through hundreds of pictures to find their faces. I couldn't imagine waking up to this kind of devastation.

That tragedy brought one truth into sharper focus:

Life is fragile—and far too short to waste.

In 2014, I learned that firsthand. After a routine dentist visit, a harmless strep bacteria from my mouth entered my bloodstream and lodged in my spine, forming an epidural abscess. The pain was excruciating. I could barely move. Doctors warned me that if they didn’t catch it in time, I could be paralyzed—or dead—within weeks.

Thanks to a team of incredible physicians, I survived. And I walked away with a gift: a new perspective.

A few years later, my father passed away at 76. And that moment hit even harder. I realized that no matter how much I trained, how well I ate, or how strong I became, I couldn’t outrun the end. If I live to be 76 too, that gives me just twenty years do everything I’ve ever wanted to do in this ONE chance at life.


So I made a promise to myself:



Live the most extraordinary life possible—while I still can.

What Makes Life Extraordinary?

For me, extraordinary begins with pushing your limits, seeing the world’s wild beauty, and doing hard things that remind you you’re alive. Doing hard things makes you appreciate all of those things you see and do even more, because the more difficult something is to attain, the greater it feels once you have achieved it.


Next comes sharing all of that with people you love and inspiring others to live their greatest life. That has been my goal for living my best life ever since.


Machu Picchu checked every one of those boxes.


In case you didn’t know, Machu Picchu—one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World—means “Ancient Mountain” in Quechua. (And, funny enough, the way most Americans mispronounce it actually translates to “Ancient Penis.” True story.)



This incredible Incan citadel was likely a sacred spiritual retreat or royal estate, nestled deep in the Andes above Cuzco, Peru. Today, Machu Picchu stretches over five miles and connects more than 3,000 ancient stone steps. Every year, people from around the globe come to hike, sweat, and climb just for a glimpse of this place’s surreal beauty—and a shot at seeing the sunrise spill over its stone terraces.

Our Arrival

We woke at 5 a.m., piled into a massive bus, and wound down the mountain on roads that felt barely wide enough for a bike, much less a tour bus. The ride was tight, twisting, and unforgettable.


As the sun crested the peaks, we reached Machu Picchu. We stood in silence and watched golden light pour over the ruins. We listened. We learned. We walked and climbed and snapped a thousand photos.


We stood in awe.


And yet, in the shadow of recent tragedy, I now ask myself:


How can something so beautiful coexist with so much sorrow?


Here’s the answer I have come to:

This is why we do hard things. This is why we explore. This is why we live fully.

You don’t get to choose how much time you have here.

But you do get to choose how you spend it.


So choose this:

  • Love deeply.
  • Laugh often.
  • Cry when you need to.
  • Do hard things on purpose.
  • Be deliberate with your actions.
  • Chase the adventure.
  • Live wide open.



At CrossFit Odyssey, that’s what we’re about.

We use strength, sweat, and movement to remind people they’re alive—and to prepare them to go live a life that matters.

We train to hike ancient mountains.

We train to raise our kids.

We train to be the kind of humans who can handle whatever life throws at us.

Because if you’re not training for the life you want to live, what are you training for?

KERRVILLE

And because of that, we have chosen our upcoming 12th anniversary to celebrate that training, that lifestyle, and the lives lost too soon in the Texas Hill Country. 


On Saturday, August 23rd, we will have a workout open to the public - the cost is any donation you want to make. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to Kerr County recovery. 


We will also have Navy Blooms on site selling their Texas Strong t-shirts, as well as a mobile sauna, cold plunge, red light therapy, physical therapy assessments and breakfast tacos. Come celebrate life and lives lost with us doing something hard, followed by something fun.


You do not need to be a member or a CrossFitter to participate, so bring your friends and families. The workout will be doable by anyone who wants to do it. 

But it will be work. Because hard things are good for us, and because it makes us more appreciative of the life we have.


Join us. Let’s make every day an adventure.


👉 Visit CrossFit Odyssey in Dallas

📍 4202 West Lovers Lane | Indoor/Outdoor Training | For Life, Not Just Looks

TAKING ACTION