It started with a PBS documentary.
In her early 20s, Melanie watched a woman climb Mount Kilimanjaro and thought, I want to do that.
The idea stayed with her—for years—but it never quite became something she acted on.
What She Did
Nearly 30 years later, Melanie decided to stop thinking about it and actually go.
She committed to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Not at a time when everything felt easy or lined up neatly. She didn’t have unlimited time or resources to train, and at 80 pounds overweight, she was far from peak fitness.
But the goal still mattered—and she reached a point where she wasn’t willing to keep putting it off.
What the Process Was Really Like
Following through on this goal required more than just deciding to go. It involved preparation, adjustments, and continuing forward even when things felt uncertain.
Some of what that process looked like:
– Starting from her current level of fitness and building gradually
– Training for a high-altitude climb while living at sea level
– Planning an international trip to a place she’d never been
– Working through doubts about whether she was capable
– Facing multiple points where it would have been easier to stop
Even after committing, there were still plenty of moments where continuing wasn’t the obvious choice.
What She Learned Along the Way
As she moved through the process, a few things became clearer:
– Waiting longer wasn’t making the goal any more achievable
– Starting where she was mattered more than trying to feel “ready”
– Confidence came from taking action, not before it
– The conditions didn’t need to be perfect to move forward
These weren’t ideas she started with—they became clearer as she followed through.
What It Led To
Reaching the summit wasn’t the end of the story.
The experience changed how Melanie approaches new goals.
Instead of letting ideas sit in the background, she now focuses on being in a position where she can say yes when something matters to her.
The shift wasn’t just about what she accomplished—it was about how she thinks about what’s possible moving forward.
Why This Matters for Other Women
This story isn’t about climbing a mountain specifically.
It’s about what it looks like to take something that’s been sitting in the “someday” category and actually move on it.
Many goals stay there not because they aren’t possible, but because life is full, timing isn’t perfect, and it’s easy to keep waiting.
Seeing the process—not just the outcome—makes it easier to imagine doing something similar in your own way.
This post is part of the Women Who Did series, which highlights real women who followed through on something important to them—and what that experience taught them—so other women can see what’s possible for themselves.
Listen
To hear the full conversation, listen to this episode of the To Your Health podcast here
Listen to the full conversation
To hear Melanie share her story in her own words, listen to this episode of the To Your Health podcast here:
