I'm attempting to set the unsupported speed record on the Arizona Trail!  That's 800+ miles from the border of AZ and Utah to the border of AZ and Mexico, and I'll have to cover that distance in less than 24 days to beat the current overall record.  That record is held be a woman, which is super rad - and it's not just any woman, it's Heather Anderson (Anish): the queen of long distance speed herself.  To break Heather's record I'll have to average 35-40 miles a day while carrying ALL my food from the very beginning. That's right, three weeks worth of supplies all on my back.  To qualify for the unsupported record I do not get to resupply anywhere, buy additional food, use caches or accept help from trail angels.  My water has to come from natural water sources or public spigots - and we're talking about a desert trail with up to 40 miles of dry trail in between (somewhat) reliable water sources.

If you were around last year, you know that I attempted a record on the Arizona Trail in late 2023 and had to come home with my tail between my legs after seven days, 310 miles, and a brand-new stress fracture. Here's to doing it better this year - fingers crossed!

If I can attempt to do 35-40 miles a day with a ton of weight and without any support - can you commit to $10 for one of my miles, or $20 for 2, or $100 for 10 miles, or even $400 for a day's worth of speed-record worthy distance hiking?  All funds raised go towards getting more women, girls & gender-diverse adventurers outside, via the Summit Scholarship Foundation and the brandnew GEA Alliance. 

Read on for more detail and to find out why I'm doing all of this. 

Outdoor adventure is life-changing. 

I know that first hand, not just because the outdoors have changed my life - but also because I split my professional time between guiding, telling stories about transformative adventure, and serving as the Executive Director for the Gender Equity through Outdoor Adventure Alliance (GEA Alliance for short). 

The GEA Alliance is the parent organization to both The Cairn Project and The Summit Scholarship Foundation. Between those two initiatives, we raise funds and create outdoor scholarships for women, girls, and gender-diverse adventurers. Our mission is to increase gender equity in outdoor spaces and, by doing so, help build a more equitable world. Please consider supporting us with a donation to this campaign!

Why does any of this matter? Aren't the outdoors gender-blind? It's more complicated than that. According to the Cairn Project, 

Girls are 16% less likely to go outside for free play in preschool. 

20% fewer young women ages 6-24 participate in outdoor activities. 

By the age of 60, women are 35% less likely to do outdoor activities.

And not just that - the women who DO engage in outdoor activities are likely to encounter subtle - or not so subtle - bias about their capabilities and whether or not they belong in the outdoors.  I myself have encountered that time and again, and it's why I founded the Summit Scholarship program (I also founded an all women expedition company, AWExpeditions, but that's unrelated to this particular adventure).

My Story

I wasn't an athletic kid, nor was I particularly outdoorsy. Today, I am a record-setting endurance athlete - well, sometimes anyway.  I tried to take down the women's speed record on the Arizona Trail in the fall of 2023, and came up short: I had to leave the trail after a little more than 300 miles when a stress fracture stopped me cold in my tracks.  You can read about that particular (mis)adventure here. 

I am no stranger to long distance endurance - I have set records on Aconcagua, around Annapurna, and recently became the first woman to complete the 1000 Mile Iditarod Trail Invitational Race on skis - but last fall was a bit of a doozy.  I'd been so busy at work that I didn't train very much, and essentially ended up going from zero mile days behind my desk straight to 50+ mile days on the trail.  I'm not sure what's more surprising: that I made it more than 300 miles before bailing, or that I thought I could get away with such minimal prep in the first place...

The Arizona Trail

The Arizona Trail left me with a humbling lesson in the power of perseverance—and a renewed appreciation for the deep connection between mental toughness, physical preparedness, and the outdoors. It’s a reminder that we all start somewhere, and the journey is what shapes us. So I'm going back, with more preparation and (slightly) better training, and I'm trying for the speed record once more. 

I'm attempting this unsupported, which means that I have to carry all my food from the beginning.  The current unsupported speed record holder on the AZT is Heather Anderson, a legend of long trail Fastest Known Times, and it was a big deal when she set the Arizona Trail record earlier this year. 

Why I Chase Speed Records & Adventure

Let’s be real: speed records don’t matter in the grand scheme. Who cares how fast you hiked or ran? What does it change? The reason I love chasing them isn’t the numbers—it’s the adventure. Speed records push me to test my limits, physically and mentally, and to explore the potential that we all have within us. There’s something transformative about pushing beyond what you thought was possible.

If, along the way, I can encourage others to seek their own challenges, to test their own limits, or to find their own sense of purpose in the wild places that we’re so fortunate to explore... then I know that these eccentric quests that I pursue aren't purely selfish, but add a little bit of brightness to the world. 

Join me in Making the Outdoors More Accessible

I believe in the power of outdoor adventure to transform lives, and I invite you to help make a difference. By donating to the GEA Alliance, you’ll support women, girls, and gender-diverse adventurers in finding their own journeys, just like I’ve found mine. Together, we can create more access, opportunity, and equity in the outdoors.

Every contribution—whether $5 or $50—makes a difference. The process is quick, easy, and secure. Thank you for your support, and please share this with anyone else who might want to help drive this mission forward. Let’s keep changing lives through adventure.