Great article for those who are struggling, you can do anyth

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How I Got Started as a Plus-Size Adventurer
Kara Richardson Whitely
FRI 24 FEB 2012

Posted by
Kara Richardson Whitely on 2/24/2012

On the eve of my first Mount Kilimanjaro hike, I started to panic. It was 2007—and while I started my journey to wellness at 360 pounds and had since dropped dozens of pounds—I was still very much a plus-size adventurer. I was afraid I had bitten off more than I could chew.

I had been training for months but now, in the day before the massive journey ahead to Africa's highest peak at 19,343 feet, it felt like an insurmountable goal.

Kara Richardson Whitely, right, at KilimanjaroA fellow hiker, who had conquered Kilimanjaro's summit 2 years prior, said not to worry, we weren't taking on the mountain tomorrow.

"Huh?", I said, taking a moment from carbo-loading from the Kibo Hotel buffet.

"That's right. Tomorrow you'll take a day hike. It's about 4 hours. It's pretty easy. Think you can handle that?"

"Sure. That's a walk in the park," I thought, remembering the months of training in my home state of New Jersey.

"Great," she said. "The next day's hike is a bit longer, about 8 hours. Are you up for that?"

That was just like Watchung Reservation's White Trail, which I did with my husband, I thought.

"Things get a little steeper the following day, but you'll only go for about 4 hours and you'll have time to rest. Then, the last hike is pretty flat through the saddle, but if you hang in there, you'll be just fine. Every hike will prepare you for the next one. When it comes time for summit night, your body will be ready," she said.

I felt like I could exhale. This was what I was prepared for, ready to conquer. One day hike at a time.

That's really what my wellness journey has been all along. My weight has gone up and down like a mountain range, but each hike has been a step towards better health.

When I started, weighing 360 pounds, I could barely hike a staircase. My first big goal was Camel's Hump, Vermont's second highest peak, which left me winded and forced me to turn back 20 minutes into a 5-hour trek with some college friends.

Now I've hiked Mount Kilimanjaro 3 times to raise money for a charity, Global Alliance for Africa, a Chicago-based organization that supports and empowers AIDS orphans. I'm also hoping to inspire others to get fit by documenting my own fitness and weight-loss journey.

In fact, my most recent hike for Global Alliance for Africa will be featured in a documentary called Big Fat Mountain. Take a look at my Big Fat Mountain website to learn more and possibly get involved in the project yourself.

I've learned that whenever a challenge seems too daunting, break it down into smaller pieces and take it from there. Remember, each step turns mountains into molehills.

Editor's note: Kara will speak about "Conquering Kilimanjaro and Moving Mountains" at the following REI stores:
Thursday, March 1: 7pm at the REI Framingham, Mass., store.
Monday, March 5: 7pm at the REI East Hanover, N.J., store.

About Kara Richardson Whitely: Kara grew up nestled by mountains in South Burlington, Vt., but the only thing that went up was her weight. She now lives in Summit, N.J., and is plus-size adventurer and an advocate for the outdoors and fitness. She is a professional public speaker, author of Fat Woman on the Mountain and a content developer for a branding agency in New York City.