Shadow Summit

Life has a way of interrupting our plans. Most of us get knocked off our chosen paths at some point. It’s what we do in such moments that determine our fate. In 1997, Jon Chandonnet - twenty-seven, a semester away from completing his Master’s Degree at MIT, with a job offer from promising startup Sapient - received the diagnosis that would change his life: Multiple-Sclerosis. MS knocked Jon down; it almost knocked him out - but it didn’t. It motivated him to become more conscious and intentional about life. Putting into practice his learnings about diet, exercise and spirituality, Jon has reversed his symptoms. Shadow Summit is the incredible story of Jon’s journey through denial and suffering, to a vibrant life of love, healing, and wholeness that he was determined to make possible.

Life has a way of interrupting our plans. Most of us get knocked off our chosen paths at some point. It’s what we do in such moments that determine our fate. In 1997, Jon Chandonnet - twenty-seven, a semester away from completing his Master’s Degree at MIT, with a job offer from promising startup Sapient - received the diagnosis that would change his life: Multiple-Sclerosis. MS knocked Jon down; it almost knocked him out - but it didn’t. It motivated him to become more conscious and intentional about life. Putting into practice his learnings about diet, exercise and spirituality, Jon has reversed his symptoms. Shadow Summit is the incredible story of Jon’s journey through denial and suffering, to a vibrant life of love, healing, and wholeness that he was determined to make possible.

WHAT IS A VIBRANT LIFE? At thirty-three, Jon Chandonnet thought it meant setting goals and working long hours and hard days to make things happen. Living by that credo he accomplished a lot. He earned his Masters from MIT, ran several marathons, scaled a number of 14,000 foot peaks, and lead teams to develop software to launch startups and build enterprise applications. He even met his soul mate, fell in love, and was married. Jon was well on his way—or so he thought—but he was a ticking time bomb. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his late twenties, Jon pushed himself to extremes in hopes it would allow him to get on the path of the life he was meant to live. But he was living in denial—out of balance with the ways that would allow him to maintain his health and well being. The MS caught up to him in a fierce way. After two years of deterioration, Jon could barely take care of himself. He knew he had to turn things around, but traditional medications and treatments did little to stem the disease’s momentum. Frustrated with the direction of his health, Jon decided to try something different. Putting into practice his learnings about diet, exercise, spiritual practices and conscious living, Jon has found a way not only to health and well-being, but to a life of vibrancy - living with a disease trying to stop him in his tracks. Jon’s hope is that through his story, others can see how a vibrant life, no matter what you face, really is possible through conscious, daily practices. No matter what happens, there is a way to create the life of your dreams.