is a 23-year-old University of California, Berkeley grad who believes everyone should be able to do the basics: outrun her predators and gather her own food. In a show of self-reliance, she plans to break the record for summiting all of .
Why are you going for the record?
It combines my love of the mountains with my love of running and climbing. The bottom line: it鈥檚 all under my control. You can go apply for jobs and get rejected a million times, or you can be completely independent and put everything on yourself. That鈥檚 kind of what I like about this. Nobody is going to tell me that I cannot do it.
It鈥檚 the equivalent of running 20 marathons and free-soloing a bunch of stuff. My whole life I鈥檝e been a really avid runner, and the last couple of years I鈥檝e been focusing on climbing a lot. So it鈥檚 a nice combo.
What鈥檚 your inspiration for trying this?
I guess my friend Russ was the first person to ever hike them all, and he was the driving force behind me doing it. He asked me to go for the record. Beyond that, it鈥檚 really just that people who throw themselves at stuff and try to get something done inspire me.
How have you been preparing for it?
I moved back into the Sierras a month and half ago, and I鈥檝e pretty much been climbing mountains every day since. A lot of recon鈥攄oing parts of the record. It鈥檚 kind of like a dress rehearsal; you鈥檙e learning the intricacies of the mountain for navigation. This last year, I ran a bunch every day and worked at a bouldering gym. I didn鈥檛 think that would help me as much as it has鈥攄oing lots of little bouldering movements.
And what kind of athletic background do you have?
I grew up playing soccer and running cross-country. I got into , got a national title and then right after that my friend introduced me to backcountry skiing, and it changed my life. After that, I quit triathlon and got into running ultramarathons. Through that I moved to New Zealand to ski. Then I just focused on backcountry skiing. It was a really bad snow year, and I realized everyone who had a rope in hand had a much bigger smile than anyone with a ski in hand. So I bought a rope and started climbing.
What鈥檚 your strategy for breaking the record, and how much support will you have?
My strategy: Wherever there is a trail, I鈥檒l use it. I鈥檓 fine with mountain navigation, but I鈥檓 super good with trails from cross-country. My plan is to use trails when I can, and to sleep when I can. I could probably do it quicker and not sleep as much, but I wouldn鈥檛 be happy.
My boyfriend is climbing some peaks, and my boyfriend and my best friend are running support. I get driven to different trailheads to the record. I鈥檒l link up five mountains in a row and then get driven to the next section.
Is there a portion of the experience that you鈥檙e most looking forward to?
I鈥檓 looking forward to the Palisade Traverse because it鈥檚 technical. It鈥檚 not slogging. It鈥檚 fun, technical climbing, but at the same time it鈥檚 super scary. You cannot fall. I鈥檓 going to mountain bike up White Mountain鈥擨鈥檓 stoked on that. One of my best friends made me a playlist so I have four days of music. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 most looking forward to. There鈥檚 three playlists: Maggie Chill, Maggie Groove, Maggie Dance鈥攊t has a lot of on it.
Are you ready for the suffering?
Yeah, I鈥檓 pretty good at it. I鈥檓 ready for it. I took the last week off so I鈥檓 super antsy. I need to go do something. I鈥檓 super stoked to go to the beach afterwards as a reward.
And what else do you like to do, other than trying to smash records?
I went to UC Berkeley and I studied nutrition and physiology, and I spent the last year working for UC Berkeley on a project in the Bay Area and in San Diego County, and I鈥檓 starting a new job doing that in August in Santa Barbra County, and my job is all childhood obesity prevention oriented. I study the psychology and what goes into food choices鈥攚hat people do and don鈥檛 know about food. Why kids don鈥檛 exercise enough. My goal is to get more kids active.
Does the record attempt relate to your day job?
It鈥檚 not financially related, but it goes back to why I鈥檓 doing it. I have a theory: I feel people should be able to feed themselves. It comes down to basic human needs: outrunning predators and feeding yourself. I don鈥檛 really think anyone can do any of that anymore. That鈥檚 kind of why I like the record. It鈥檚 sheer independence. You鈥檙e out there and you鈥檙e surviving. That鈥檚 something I鈥檇 like to instill in kids.
What鈥檚 next?
This is all about climbing the easiest route up the mountains. I feel the drive to climb harder routes up the mountains. I move to Santa Barbara in August, and I鈥檓 just going to focus on climbing hard stuff and getting better at surfing big waves.
Final words?
I鈥檓 supported by . They give me most of my food and nutrition.