On March 28th, One Summit returned to Virginia Beach to launch our first Climb for Courage program weekend of 2026. It was a great way to start the year! Fifteen Little Warriors were paired with fifteen Navy SEAL Mentors for a day filled with determination, laughter, and powerful moments of connection.
Here's a snapshot of our participant group at this Climb for Courage program:
From the moment the teams came together, the energy in the gym was undeniable. Our amazing teams, The Iron Men and Women, The Pink Jaguars, The Popcorn Kittens, Sonic the Speedy Fire Dragons, and The Invincible Ravens, brought creativity, enthusiasm, and team spirit to every climb and every activity throughout the day. Whether it was conquering a new route or cheering from below, each moment reflected the courage and resilience that define the Climb for Courage experience. Some of the goals the Mentors and Little Warriors set together included:
Those goals were no match for our crew. But Climb for Courage is about more than just reaching the roof or conquering a tough route. It's about helping kids who have faced unimaginable challenges rediscover their immense strength and confidence. Side by side with their Navy SEAL Mentors, our Little Warriors are reminded that they are capable of more than they may believe, and that they never have to face challenges—both big and small—alone.
The feedback we receive from families, mentors, and volunteers immediately after the climb illustrates the impact of our mission. The testimonials below reinforce our commitment to enhancing outcomes for our resilient Little Warriors through year-round support and dedication to serving the Virginia Beach area.
[Before I was] scared. [Now I’m] happy!
– Little Warrior
Today’s event was heartwarming.
– Team Leader
[My kids] talked about the experience all the way home!
– Parent
We all have different skillsets but one thing that everyone in the [SEAL] community has is an extraordinary amount of determination and perseverance. One Summit is an opportunity for us to exemplify those traits to impressionable young kids in a way that they will remember for the rest of their lives and hopefully be able to fall back on when things get tough.
– Navy SEAL Mentor
After the program we stopped at the windy, 40-degree beach before our drive home. The kids had their rain boots on, got a little close to a big wave, and their boots got filled with seawater and their pants soaked. [My son] was so cold! But as we were walking back to the car, with the wind whipping us around, he said, “Mama, sometimes if you’re about to do something hard, you should just take a deep breath”, and proceeded to ignore his shivers and tough it out back to the car, all stoic-like. He said, “My SEAL told me that”. I was floored!
– Parent
When my mentee and I finally took a break to have some water and just chat a little more they told me, “This is like the most fun I’ve ever had!”
– Navy SEAL Mentor
[I learned from my Navy SEAL Mentor] that even when it’s hard, never give up and always give 100%.”
– Little Warrior
The experience my children had with One Summit will live in their memories for a lifetime. They haven't stopped talking about it since we left. They felt incredibly special to have one-on-one attention from a Navy SEAL. These guys are away from home the majority of the year, and they made time for my children. Not only did they make time, but they valued that time and invested fully in the kids. This organization and these SEALs are a blessing to the pediatric cancer community, and to our country overall!
– Parent
It takes such little commitment from us to have such an enormous impact on these kids.
– Navy SEAL Mentor
For [my daughter] it was getting some one-on-one that was not 100% centered around [her sister] and her treatment. As of late, a lot of the attention is on her sister. This experience helps remind my daughter that she also matters.
– Parent
[After Climb for Courage I feel] more confident. I can do anything.
– Little Warrior
[It’s a] great feeling to be a part of such a noble cause.
– Navy SEAL Mentor
[I learned from my Navy SEAL Mentor] to create a plan! Don’t give up!
– Little Warrior
[Climb for Courage is] a great opportunity to help kids who have been through some really tough times and also puts life in perspective.
– Navy SEAL Mentor
I’m happy to be here and sad to leave.
– Little Warrior
[My most memorable moment of the day was] climbing alongside my mentee and reminding him that “he’s chillin’” when he got nervous, or that when his hand hurt, telling him “that’s okay - you can still keep going,” and then watching him use those same phrases in his own positive self-talk later on to accomplish his goals.
– Navy SEAL Mentor
[After Climb for Courage I feel] super, duper, uper happy!
– Little Warrior
Going into this [my daughter] was not very confident in her ability to climb due to her surgery. [Afterwards] her confidence is through the roof, seeing that she can use her right arm in athletic settings gives her hope for what she can accomplish in the future.
– Parent
The following morning, March 29th, we kept the momentum going with our first Climb Higher program of the year, where twelve returning Little Warriors, nine returning Mentors, and two brand-new Mentors came together to continue building on the connections and confidence our alum climbers had formed during their last program. As usual, the fun, laughter, and connections, both old and new, made for a terrific morning amongst our community members.
As our first program weekend of 2026, this program weekend in Virginia Beach set the tone for what is sure to be an amazing year ahead. Each climb is a fresh opportunity to build resilience, strengthen community, and create moments that stay with our families and Mentors long after they leave the gym.
We are starting another year with an incredible and generous group of partners who helped make this Virginia Beach weekend possible. Our wonderful friends at Born Primitive are supporting our mission again in 2026, and we can't thank them enough for their continued generosity and partnership. Thanks for gearing up our community with style!
Our friends Francisco and David from Pass the Bricks Virginia ensured that creativity and brick-building joy reached our Little Warriors once again through their donated LEGO kits. Thank you for encouraging imagination and connection beyond the rock walls and for all the work you do for your Virginia community.
A sincere thank you also goes out to Wawa for their financial support of the One Summit mission. Your generosity helps create meaningful, uplifting experiences for the kids and families we serve.
As always, we extend our deep gratitude to the amazing social workers, child life specialists, nurses, and staff at local hospitals and clinics who support our mission, help us share our program opportunities with families, and assist with participant registration.
For this program, we especially want to thank our friends at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters for helping more families access these resilience-building programs. We'd also like to send a huge thank you to our new friends at Hogfarmers Charitable Foundation for being so kind, for sharing our programs with their network of families, and for helping us make new connections in the Virginia Beach area. We appreciate their hard work and look forward to continuing to collaborate.
To our alum families who continue to share our mission with new families in your networks — thank you for being ambassadors of our work. Your voices help us grow our community of Little Warriors in Virginia and beyond.
Lastly, we are eternally grateful to our Navy SEAL mentors, dedicated Team Leaders and volunteers, Young Professionals Board, and everyone in our community who comes together to make these weekends happen. We truly couldn't do what we do without you.
We are very excited about the year ahead for One Summit, and if this Virginia Beach program weekend is any indication, we're in for quite an amazing year. We're looking forward to all that is to come in the months ahead. We can't wait to meet even more families and SEALs, reconnect with our community members, and continue building resilience, connection, and courage across the country. See you out there!
Are you interested in participating in an upcoming Climb for Courage program, or do you know someone who might be interested in joining us? Please apply on our website or email maxwell@onesummit.org for more information!
