An inspiration to all

A 20 mile hike is difficult for anyone, but one local Boy Scout is prepared for the journey.

Meet Aaron Smith, an eighth grader at West Wortham Elementary School.

Aaron has cerebral palsy and optic nerve damage in one eye, but that hasn’t stopped him from earning 40 merit badges. “I like being a Boy Scout because I can also learn how to save people’s lives.”

Aaron loves brain puzzles, solving Rubix cubes, and may be a little obsessed with ping-pong. On top of that, Aaron is on a mission to obtain the highest achievement a Boy Scout can receive. “It’d be nice to be an Eagle Scout because not that many people in a scout troop will get that rank, only like five percent of that troop will get that rank.”

To become an Eagle Scout, Aaron has to complete three different hikes, one of which is 20 miles long which sparked a thought in Martino’s head. “So, when he said that he needed to do this, I knew it would take at least eight hours or so. He inspired me to want to go along with him on that journey because I mean, what more information do you need than a child like him?”

Aaron and Martino will begin their hike at Jones Park Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m., traveling east and circling back to Jones Park.“He brings joy to your life every day, he’s very helpful. He’s very kind. He’s a typical teenager in so many ways and he’s just an inspiration.”