Remembering Micah True a.k.a. Caballo Blanco

It's with sadness that I learned this weekend that Micah True, a.k.a. Caballo Blanco ("The White Horse"), passed away last week while running in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico.  There are many news articles about his passing; here is but one.  True was 58.  The cause of his death is, as of now, yet to be determined.

I did not know Micah True — I never met him.  Yet when I think him, I've got such a vivid picture of an amazing individual; and it's because of that that one word keeps coming to mind when I think about his life: ripples.

Think of all the things that were set in motion by Micah True.  He lived in the Copper Canyons among the Tarahumara people, learning their ways and dedicating himself to their plight.  True's vision was to bring awareness to the Tarahumara through running; he created the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon.  This action set in motion a chain of events that led to enormous awareness about not only the Tarahumara, but running, itself, as made famous by Chris McDougall in Born to Run.  Ripples.

The amazing thing about True's life is that the ripples keep on expanding.  Look at Will Harlan's BarefootFarm.org, for example; or take this year's attendance at the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon.  And these are just some of the most proximal effects of True's life; it's to say nothing of those who were inspired to run through Born to Run.  They just keep on going.

I'll remember what I knew of the White Horse, which was that he was a leader who made a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of people he never met, including me.

He'll be missed.

If you were affected by the life of Micah True, remember him to others and to yourself.  Share the impact he had on your life and insodoing, let Caballo's legacy live on as it continues to ripple outward, even after he's gone.