We Are Sisyphus

Benjamin Levin is the Content Creator on the 2024 South American Epic Cycling Expedition. 

The Greek myth of Sisyphus has frequently been explored as an allegory for the human condition, most famously by 20th century existentialist Albert Camus who compared the Greek myth, in which Sisyphus is condemned to the seemingly meaningless task of rolling a boulder up a hill for eternity, to humanity’s futile search to give meaning to our lives in an inherently meaningless universe. However, Camus did not see Sisyphus as a tragic figure, resigned to a life with no purpose, living with no intention. He argued that in the face of absurd tasks and struggles, the attitude that one adopts towards the struggle is what allows them to find meaning in a world devoid of it. Camus transforms the tragic figure of Sisyphus into a symbol of defiance against the absurd – “The Struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

And we are all Sisyphus. Regardless of your personal interpretation of the meaning of life, we do struggle, but we struggle with the intention to give purpose to our lives. While we are not pushing boulders up hills behind the doors of death, we are pushing pedals up mountains in South America: 3053 meters of climbing over 70 kilometers, 2015 meters climbing over 102 kilometers, 2456 meters of climbing over 154 kilometers at 4,500 meters elevation…. This is the three day stretch on the South American Epic as we leave Nazca, Peru and approach the ancient Inca city of Cusco. Sleeping in bush camps for 2 of those nights, at 3500 and 3600 meters with overnight temperatures reaching 0C… is this the definition of a meaningless struggle? This tour is not a race. You are not making any money. In fact, it has cost everyone quite a bit to have the opportunity to suffer in this way. So what makes this struggle, this absurd task, worth doing?

Every push of the pedal is an individual battle, every road that rises up to meet us an adversary, but there is meaning in this struggle. We each choose to put ourselves through this because the challenge gives us purpose. The meaning is unique to each one of us. Sometimes it is a reason that we are conscious of and sometimes it is a reason that we have not realized yet. Andy wants to get in better shape; Tom has done all the TDA Epics besides South America, and Avi hates the idea of quitting more than he dislikes the struggle of pushing himself to his limit everyday. All of these reasons are what makes pushing the boulder, pushing those pedals meaningful to us. We all have to push our own boulders in life. We all strive to find meaning in a world where at times this is very difficult. But here on tour, we are all Sisyphus, condemned to struggle, but to a struggle that we all love, and in our individual reasons for this love, we find purpose.

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