I am climbing the Seven Summits to shine a light on the power of choice and the reality of a changing planet. My journey began with loss and grew into purpose. After my husband Pat passed away, I made a decision that changed my life. Instead of stepping away from fear, I stepped toward it. The mountains became my path to healing and my way of contributing something meaningful.

My philosophy is simple: Can’t is a belief. Must is a decision. Did is the life shaped by that decision. It is not that you can’t, it is that you chose not to. When you shift to must, doors open, strength appears and transformation follows. Through my climbs, I try to remind others that one life is a gift and every choice shapes a destiny.

On Aconcagua, Denali and Everest, I have witnessed the effects of climate change with my own eyes. Receding glaciers, unstable terrain and shifting weather patterns have turned each climb into a form of environmental witnessing. My summits are not only personal milestones. They are a call to pay attention and protect what remains of our fragile world.

My inspiration comes from Pat, from the mountains themselves and from the possibility that someone watching my journey may choose must for their own life and discover what they are capable of. The Seven Summits have reshaped how I see purpose, resilience and responsibility.

I am a first-generation American who grew up stateless, without a true home. Becoming American gave me a place to belong and the freedom to build a life rooted in intention and service. Climbing the Seven Summits is my way of honoring that freedom and using my voice to encourage others to rise, act and protect the world we all share.