12-year-old Strummer Zuzula. Finishing the Mini Marji for the first time. A crowd cheering as he crosses the finish line. A moment captured by Rob Meendering Photography. There are thousands of photos from this year’s Marji Gesick. The gallery of photos is inspiring in itself. But as the stories and recaps of the event unfold – you quickly realize each photo holds so much more than what we see.

Strummer’s Marji story began nearly a year before he crossed the finish line. It began on registration night in 2025 as his dad and sister, who had both participated before, waited to sign up. Strummer was standing there and said, “hey – I want to do it too.”

Donny, Strummer’s dad says he was surprised, as it wasn’t something they had talked about or that he would normally do. But, of course, he was all in. That night Donny signed both of his kids up for the Mini Marji. It would be his daughter Eleanor’s second time in the event, Strummer’s first.

A plan was set. But, first Strummer and Eleanor planned to snowshoe Polar Roll. Donny says there wasn’t much training for the event, but rather, a nonchalant, “I got this” attitude. When it came time – nothing met Strummer’s expectations. It was more difficult than he thought it would be – and he dropped around Hogs and Bacon. Donny recalls that bothered him – he felt bad about not finishing – so finishing the Marji became a big deal to him.

And so did training. Donny and Strummer spent the summer running, riding, walking and talking. Donny wanted to make sure Strummer had a reason ‘why’ he was running the Marji.

“He had a real emotional response to that,” says Donny. “A few years ago, he was in a gifted and talented program in school and decided to go to an art and sciences academy. He went from a top student to an average student, struggling a bit with his grades. It’s a hard school. There’s a high expectation. And where he used to just float by with high test scores – he struggles. He’s in the middle.“

Donny says he remembers Strummer telling him he was tired of being average. He wanted something to make him feel empowered.

Donny, who was in his own Marji experience wasn’t at Strummer’s finish – but looking at the photos – he was struck by the look on his son’s face. He knew the experience was what he wanted it to be. That everything he had hoped he was going to get – he got. That something really positive came out of the day and all the work he had put in.

“He didn’t look like himself. He looked like he grew up. There’s an intensity on his face – it was like he grew to be six feet tall.“

Strummer got his finisher token. He hasn’t stopped wearing his Marji shirts. He’s undecided on whether he’ll do it again. But, at 12-years-old, he’s accomplished something that will likely become a significant moment of his childhood. And he did it on his own. His sister was there. But they were just two kids, having an adventure, creating memories and stories to share.

“Boys want independence. Letting him do it alone was huge. If I had done it with him, it would have been different. This was something he did for himself, independently and it was an adventure. The way he talks about it – things were difficult out there, he was in a place he’s never run or hiked before. He was hungry. He has all of these challenges and stories – and they are his. It’s his adventure.“

Donny says he never questioned whether he should it on his own – he wants his kids to have adventures – to get into good trouble – ya know, the kind we all had in the woods as kids. He wanted his son to focus on the journey and know that he was trusted to do it on his own.

And while crossing that finish in downtown Ishpeming – with a crowd of supporters and photographers capturing the moment certainly had to feel good. It’s those moments in the middle of the adventure – the ones too profound, too personal, too internal to be captured in a photo – that really make Marji Gesick and those who participate, like 12-year-old Strummer, extraordinary.