Mark Schoenhard, CST, CST-KS
Contact
Information: Mark Schoenhard – Chamberlain, South Dakota– markschoenhard@cstcoach.com
Born and raised in the small town and capitol of South Dakota, Pierre. Had the fortune of growing up in the country with the prairie, ponds and my dogs to play with. Played baseball from little league to amateur ball during college. Was an avid swimmer and started entering some local sprint triathlons. Graduated with a business degree from the University of South Dakota and went to work for a retail firm in Houston, Texas.
Decided the business lifestyle and Houston didn’t suit me so I moved to Austin after about 6 months. In Austin I worked with developmentally disabled adults for over a year. I also studied Iyengar Yoga continued swimming and lots of trail hiking. The large city and the heat became too much and I decided to head North. Way up North. Had a couple of friends who wanted to travel to Alaska for the Summer to hike around and explore. I left with a backpack in the Summer of ‘95, landed in Anchorage and ended up staying nearly nine years.
In Alaska, the first people I met were into mushing dogs. This changed my life, from there I learned the sport and explored Alaska the next 8 Winters from behind a dogsled. I also had the fortune of meeting a Yupik elder who taught me the trade of building traditional dogsleds. The last four years in Alaska I owned and operated a sole entrepreneurship building and selling sleds to mushers all over the globe.
Another adventurous soul I met in Alaska taught me reforestation, planting trees. My first four Summers I had the fortune of being in remote areas all over the state replanting clear cuts. Tree planting was a tribal lifestyle in a wilderness setting. Along with dog mushing the experiences have had a tremendous impact on my perception and beliefs.
I also worked with a local Athabascan tribe and through the people there I learned Native culture, traditional hide tanning and drum building. As a drum builder I was invited to work on an international peace project, The Grandmother Drum (http://whirlingrainbow.com/gmd.htm). This spiritual work made me realize the importance of family and home. I could have easily lived the rest of my life in Alaska, but I decided I was missing time with my family back in South Dakota.
In 2004 I returned home to South Dakota. Now and for the past seven years I have been working in Chamberlain at a residential school for Native American children. I am called a house parent, when the kids are not in school they are with me and my partner in a home setting. The work is both challenging, rewarding and lots of fun.
Although being a house parent is an active lifestyle, it is not nearly as active as my time in Alaska. Since I’ve been here I have been searching for ways to compensate for the more sedentary lifestyle. I began studying Iyengar Yoga again, took up trail running (minimalist), kayaking, cycling, cross country skiing, snow shoeing and all kinds of bodyweight exercises. In January of 2010 I stumbled upon a video of Coach Sonnon performing Prasara Yoga. It struck a chord with me. Now my living room is covered with mats and I removed the ceiling fan to accommodate club swinging.
That Fall I saw an RMAX announcement for Tau Cadre seminar for CST certification in Bellingham. The seminar was scheduled on my school’s spring break so I decided to give it a go. I joined Coach Hurst’s CST IC online prep course, trained hard and had a great time at my first certification.
Now that I am certified with CST I intend on pursuing my goals. For me it is simple, I know I need to help myself so I can help others. CST has provided me the foundation for this work. Now intend on helping my family, friends, students, the community I live in and the RMAX family.
All My Relations.
Mark Schoenhard, CST, CST-KS