SALT Dental Partners Leadership Takes on 29029 TRAIL: Built on Years of Trust, Tested on the Mountain
On September 17, five SALT executives will attempt something most people will never experience: running 79 miles across three mountain marathons in three consecutive days. Dylan Bates (Chief Executive Officer), Mark Schodrof (Chief Operating Officer), Josh Yelsey (Chief Strategic Officer), Fletcher Boyle (Chief Development Officer), and Dr. Tony Paventy (Chief Clinical Officer) aren’t strangers to hard things done together. Their partnership was forged through years of shared experiences, difficult decisions, and countless challenges that tested and strengthened their bond.
Today, they continue to push each other, support their teams, and raise the bar for what SALT can be.
Now they’re testing that partnership on the mountain—24 weeks training, logging hundreds of miles, and pushing themselves far outside their comfort zones. Not as individuals, but as a team.
“Growth comes from individual and collective perseverance through challenges. It comes from grit. It comes from individually and collectively pushing the boundaries of what is possible,” said Dylan Bates, Chief Executive Officer. “And the biggest challenges are better when you take them on together.”
The 29029 TRAIL is an elite endurance event requiring participants to cover 26.2+ miles each day within a 12-hour window. The challenge tests physical stamina, mental resilience, and the ability to persevere through sustained discomfort—mirroring the kind of grit and determination required to build something meaningful in business.
“This team has been through a lot together. Side-by-side pushing each other and committed to the same outcome. An endeavor not taken on by many—we push ourselves, we push each other, and we push and support the organization to do big and bold things, and to lead from the front,” said Dylan Bates, Chief Executive Officer.
The SALT leadership’s participation in 29029 TRAIL reflects the organization’s commitment to bold action and personal excellence. By taking on this challenge together, the executives demonstrate the kind of standards they hold for themselves and inspire in their teams.
” Our leadership doesn’t ask our teams to do anything we’re not willing to do ourselves. We show up. We go first. We don’t talk about standards, we live them. September 17th, we’re walking that talk on the mountain,” said Mark Schodrof, Chief Operating Officer.
The 29029 community has a tradition of building deep connections through shared adversity. SALT’s leadership team joins a select group of 300 other participants in Park City as they attempt something most people will never experience.