I first heard about Connie’s story from my friend Chen. Since Chen is the best female runner in my friend circle, I had no doubt that Connie was one of them - those who were born athletic and good at outdoor sports.

However, I was wrong.

Connie was born and raised in Shanghai, China. When she was young, she preferred opera, photography, and literature. She was a city girl who “couldn’t even pass her fitness test in gym class”, according to Connie.

It was changed after her son, Enchee, was born.

Enchee was diagnosed with autism at age three. Motivated to get Enchee involved in recreational activities, Connie began taking him on hikes when he was around age 10. They went on various trips of increasing intensity and duration, from Mount Madison in New Hampshire to a 10-day European hiking tour of Mont Blanc, Enchee grew up to be a well-mannered young man, good at math and physics, in addition to hiking and running.

I was honored to create an artwork for their trip to the Narrows at Zion National Park.

Although in her mind, the Narrows upstream should be calm with round rocks glistening under the clear water, it was filled with mud and sand that ate their water shoes numerous times.

I kept true with the scene, made the sky the same color as the water, which painted a cohesive background so Connie and Enchee stood out more. I also highlighted their determination and perseverance by slightly altering their postures from the reference picture.

The painting was well received, and I felt accomplished. :)