The 29029 Podcast

Episode 50 - Her Why | LeAnne Rodriguez Oct 08, 2024

Every episode we start by asking “What’s your Everest?” or your biggest goal or challenge in life. BUT there is another question that lies beyond the pronouncement of a goal or something you want to accomplish and it’s a bit more complex. Why?

Why do you want to challenge yourself?

Why do you want to sacrifice time and money?

Why is THIS so important?

Why?

I was scrolling through my instagram feed the other day and came across this post by 29029 alumni, LeAnne Rodriguez.

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I was struggling with my WHY the other day. 🤍

You know the “why are you climbing again?”🤍

I used to laugh and say it’s my drug. 🤍

But last week I made a promise to myself that I would stop joking to hide the pain. 🤍

Why do I want to be back on that mountain every year? 🤍

Because on that mountain …

-no one cares about my past

-no one is gossiping

-EVERYONE is cheering each other on every step

-your mountain friends will love you FOREVER.

-there’s no snide remarks or jealousy on that mountain. We are all in awe of each other.

-no one really cares what you do for work. They just want to know why you are on the mountain.

-the mountain makes you realize that you are amazing all by yourself

-the mountain stories will be ones you cherish forever

So the next time you wonder why someone is doing something make sure you are also truly wanting to know. 🤍

Find your mountain my friends.

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I had watched LeAnne climb Snowbasin and then Jackson Hole and knew I would see her again in Sun Valley this season. She always radiated light and hope, but I knew there was something behind her words in this post. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know Why? Every mountain has a beginning, so let’s start there……

Find out more about 29029 Everesting events and our incredible COMMUNITY by clicking the links.

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Episode 49 - Sometimes Quitting Isn’t Failure | Noah Pines Aug 15, 2024

The boxer Mike Tyson once said “Everyone has a plan until you’re punched in the mouth”

This feels like a truth we all understand; that things in this life are not going to unfold the way we want or expect them to. They never have and they never will. Yet, we go around creating our perfect plans and end up shocked and disappointed when our plans fail.

On the mountain we know how many laps we need to do before lunch, what we will wear to start and the intervals at which we will change our socks and eat our meals. We know how long we will sleep and ride the gondola. We plan for showers and slow downs overnight. We’ve seen spreadsheets and laminated cards laying out minute-by-minute all 36 hours. Then the airhorn sounds and we start climbing.

Noah Pines was a 3x alumni trying his hand at the newest mountain in the 29029 fleet - Jackson Hole 2023. He had 3 hats on his shelf back home and now he wore a black bib on his back. At 6am on Friday morning he began to work his plan to pull on his 4th red hat.

No one ever plans to get punched in the mouth……except for if you are MIke Tyson.....Noah sure didn’t until it happened.

What do you do when nothing goes to plan?

What happens when you are faced with a choice that you never imagined you would face on the mountain?

What of your goals?

Your success?

What if you can’t reach Everest?

No one likes to talk about it, but we are going to talk about it in this episode.

Episode 48 - She Googled "Hard Endurance Events" | Hannah Waters Jul 15, 2024

Sometimes the world feels so big and overwhelming. There are so many people in so many places with so many opinions, values and path.

......But something happens on the mountains and the trails, on long bike rides and over monotonous hours of endurance training.

There’s something within endurance sport that acts like a binding agent reaching across borders and cultures, filling in the gaps of humanity until we all seem to be a bit more similar…….because aren’t we all simply people, who strive to be the best versions of ourselves?

Hannah Waters first climbed 29029 at Whistler in 2022. She showed up alone and left with a red hat and 4 new friends. Those friends met again on the mountain at Jackson Hole in 2023.

Hannah had flown across the world to Jackson Hole from her home in Saudi Arabia, the flight taking almost as long as it would take her to earn her second red hat.

Four friends grew to 5 on that mountain and Hannah added another dot to her global map showing how sport connected her no matter where she traveled.

There is no doubt when you watch Hannah that she is an athlete. Endurance sport is as big a part of her life as her career. She doesn’t train to win. She isn’t gunning for the top spot (though you will most likely find her there).

Hannah loves the process of endurance sport. She loves the community. Sport makes her feel like she’s a part of something no matter where in the world her life has taken her……and it’s taken her on quite a ride!

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Episode 47 - A Challenge to Check Your Soul | David Allen Jun 14, 2024

The mountain has a way of checking our soul, of challenging us on multiple levels all at once.

We met David Allen at Snowbasin this year. He was strong, fit and capable, a gym owner, former athlete and powerlifter.. He always smiled when we referred to him as “Dr. David Allen” when he would return to the base of the mountain to brand his board. (Sidenote: David’s not a “doctor” but his name sure made us think of one from a daytime soap opera.)

At the Ascent Board, we see participants multiple times. At Snowbasin, participants come through the base as many as 13 times in their quest to conquer Everest.

We didn’t think much of “Dr. David Allen” other than a guy with a great smile going home with a red hat on his head……until Colleen received a DM from him the following Tuesday……David wanted to connect with Coach Derek who had helped him on the mountain. Colleen asked him how he was feeling and made a “Doctor” joke……..His response took her back….He said……"My body feels fine, I’m a little sore but not any more than a normal workout. Emotionally I’m completely wrecked.”

David had been invited by a friend to take on what he thought would be the physical challenge of climbing 29,029 feet. He was shocked to find himself emotionally torn open by the experience and really wasn’t prepared on where to go from there.

Listen and subscribe for more inspiring content from our 29029 Community. Learn more about 29029 Everest events https://29029everesting.com/https://29029everesting.com/.

Episode 46 - Couch to Everest | Grace Lee May 09, 2024

Editor's Note: We aren't just talking about climbing 29,029 at one of our 6 - 29029 mountain events (though we are going to do that too)......We are talking about THE REAL MOUNT EVEREST! Enjoy!

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Let’s talk about your dreams and ambitions……I know you have some! Maybe they are in the form of a bucket list item that you want to check off before you leave this life behind. Maybe they seem unattainable but for some reason you still can’t get them out of your head.

What if you actually got off the couch and started making those dreams happen? Where would you start? How would you get there? Would people support you? What would it feel like to look back and realize you made that dream a reality.

Grace Lee was tiny and mighty when she showed up to 29029 Stratton in 2021. She had an easy smile and a giggle and a wide-eyed wonder for the challenge in front of her.

Little did any of us know that just a year earlier, Grace was sitting on her couch when she decided she was going to climb the Seven highest summits on the seven continents of the world. She had watched a documentary….she was inspired.

Oh, but Grace isn’t a mountaineer. She didn’t ever go to the gym or play sports. She disliked the cold, camping and heights.

Grace is literally working herself from the couch to Everest. What is it going to take? Who will support her? How is she going to make this dream a reality? You’re about to find out, but watch out Grace’s dreams are contagious…..

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Episode 45 - Red Hats Ahoy! | Ben Towill Apr 11, 2024

If I can climb 29,029 feet in 36 hours, with very little sleep and live to tell the tale…..What else can I do?

If you are signed up for 29029 get ready to ask yourself this question when you get home from the mountain. It’s inevitable. Doing hard things is a key that unlocks future potential. We gain a great perspective of what might be possible when we take on the seemingly impossible and find success.

The tale we have to tell you today didn’t actually start on the mountain, but the mountain was pivotal in setting the course for this adventure.

Ben Towill and Charlie Layton have a close relationship. They are friends and business partners, but this test had nothing to do with business and everything to do with rowing a two-man boat thousands of miles from the Canary Islands across the Atlantic to the tiny Western Caribbean Island of Antigua.

It’s probably important to note that Ben isn’t a rower, neither is Charlie. They jumped feet first into a challenge that most people would say they had no business even attempting.

Not to spoil the ending, but they make it and pull out of port wearing a 29029 RED hat!

So let’s go back to that red hat, the first one Ben earned in Snowbasin 2021, when Ben and Charlie were still testing their relationship.

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Episode 37 - Everesting at 80 | Jim Fisher Mar 19, 2024

Most 80 year old men you find sitting comfortably in a recliner surrounded by their grandchildren telling stories of adventures long past. Jim Fisher is not one of those 80 year old men. Jim is still seeking adventures, still climbing mountains and still living his life to the fullest.

In 2021, 29029 Alumni Chuck Fisher invited his parents to climb with him in Snowbasin that year. Jim and Mary Fisher were 78 almost 79 years old when they pressed that red registration button.

Jim was an instant celebrity on the mountain. He was the source of a new kind of inspiration in our community. Jim was almost 80 years old but Jim was climbing.

He didn’t complain.

He didn’t stop.

We all watched in awe as he chatted and smiled his way step after step up and down those slopes.

2021 Snowbasin was a challenge for many reasons for Jim and when he left without a red hat a new fire burned inside of him. He had to come back. He needed to find his Everest.

And oh did he come back……..

In June 2022 at the start of our 29029 event season, we invited Jim to speak to our community on a special zoom call. Jim’s message and motivation is just too good not to share with the world.

We hope you are as inspired as we are by Jim Fisher. We hope his message resonates to help you keep climbing your own mountains and seeking out new summits whenever you can….regardless of the birthday you are celebrating this year!

LEARN MORE ABOUT 29029 HERE

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Episode 44 - The Never-Ending Search for Happiness | Amber Conlin Mar 18, 2024

Have you ever watched a great athlete perform? They can look flawless. Light on their feet. Perfect form. They make everything look effortless.

Whether it's at 29029 or another endurance event it’s easy to see the “front of the pack” and think “how can this be so easy for them”.....”and why isn’t it that easy for me”

I’m not sure what it is that makes us think that those who are winning the races and climbing in front of us are somehow having an easier time. No matter your ability, everyone is covering the same distance and even the best of us have underlying struggles, not visible to the outside world, that threaten to derail our performance.

Amber Conlin was the first woman to find her Everest at Snowbasin #2 in 2022. She was fast and fit, completing 29,029 feet of climbing and 30 miles of distance just after midnight 19 hours after beginning the challenge.

If you were standing at the summit in those dark, early morning hours, you would have seen a mom being greeted by her 4 children, her husband Tyler and her in-laws. All of them beaming and overflowing with pride.

But this 29029 finish was not the only Everest Amber climbed on her way to this point.

We may not always know the battles and challenges that rage on the other side of a smiling face and a brilliant performance, but as we dig below the surface what we uncover can teach us things for our own journey.

Amber can teach us what true happiness is and how she finally found it……not on the mountain…….but within herself!

Episode 43 - Level Up | Alvaro Nunez Feb 16, 2024

American Entrepreneur and Author Jim Rohn is often credited with the saying “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”

So look around.

Who’s in your circle?

Are the people you are spending the most time with people who you look up to; people who you want to be like?

Alvaro Nunez is one of those people you want in your circle.

Beyond his incredible success in business, he is always seeking to live his life to the fullest. He’s waded through the challenges of growing up an emigrant to this country. He worked his way through undergraduate school as a janitor. He had to reset his mind every time life threatened to derail his plans.

Through it all Alvaro developed a mindset that turns his challenges into his super power.

It will come as no surprise that Alvaro seeks to have relationships with people he wants to be like. That’s pretty much how he ended up at 29029 because Alvaro followed the many expeditions and adventures of Colin O’Brady and he got curious.

Then Alvaro found out that Colin was going to be in Miami…….Of course, he invited him to go skydiving.

Want to hear more stories from Alvaro and learn to Level Up your own life? Read his book LEVEL UP

Learn more about 29029 events HERE

Episode 42 - BONUS 29029 FAQ | Joannie Rich Jan 26, 2024

We don’t know about you, but we just can’t get enough of Joannie Rich!

If you haven’t, go back and listen to episode 41 so you can meet Joannie and get a glimpse of why she owns 13 red hats and plans to keep climbing.

Joannie is a wealth of knowledge not only on the mountain but at home too. She is generous with her time taking calls and answering messages from participants in our community. It’s part of what makes her such a legend.

While we had Joannie in the podcast hot seat, we figured it was a great time to get some answers to those questions everyone is always asking her. Enjoy a little bonus episode with Joannie Rich.

Find out more about 29029 Everesting HERE

Episode 41 - Why Not | Joannie Rich Jan 26, 2024

When most people sign up for 29029 they get used to being asked “but Why?”

Why in the world would you want to climb the same mountain for 36 hours?

Why would you want to put yourself through that?

Why would you climb in the rain, the sun, the dark, the snow?

Why would you dedicate so much of your time to earn a red hat?

Joannie Rich has been asked “why” more times than she can remember. That’s probably because she was the first 29029 participant in 2021 to wear a black bib, signifying that she had completed 3 previous events. She didn’t stop there, not even close.

Joannie went on to become the first participant to earn the designation of “10-time finisher” in 2023. Remember, when the co-founders started 29029, they didn’t even know if people would come back more than once.

To date, Joannie has come back 13 times, climbed every single mountain we’ve offered and has never gone home without a red hat.

Whether she likes it or not Joannie has become a legend on the mountain. She’s fun-sized and fierce and always has the perfect outfit for her final lap of the weekend. 29029 wouldn’t be the same without her and with this little peek behind the curtain you’ll realize why Joannie’s answer to why is usually “why not!”

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Episode 40 - Setting & Crushing Your Big Goals | 29029 Co-Founders Marc Hodulich, Jesse Itzler & Colin O'Brady Dec 13, 2023

On December 12, 2023 the three 29029 Co-Founders (Marc Hodulich, Jesse Itzler and Colin O’Brady) sat down to welcome our community to a new year and a new season!

Each of these men lives and breathes endurance sports. It’s not just their business, it is their lives.

Their takeaways for how to plan, prepare and balance a massive goal like 29029 is just what you need to hear as you prepare for a new year of challenges in your own life.

No matter what mountains you are facing in this new season, know that when you lean into a community and open yourself up to new and uncomfortable experiences, you will grow into a newer, better version of yourself.

NOTE: Jesse’s wifi didn’t seem to have gotten the memo that it’s almost 2024 and we aren’t using 1996 dial-up anymore, so forgive us for some of the audio.

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Episode 39 - "Go and Make it Meaningful" | Jon Samnick Nov 14, 2023

The hardest thing about producing this podcast is that all of our participants at 29029 have a story. They have REALLY good stories. We are going to keep sharing those stories with you month after month and season after season.....but every once in a while there is a story that transcends the others.

A story that epitomizes what 29029 stands for.

Jon Samnick has been climbing mountains with 29029 for a long time. When Jon started there were no red hats, no red carpets…..there weren’t even coaches or training plans. There was just a mountain and newly formed community that was about to change everything for Jon.

Jon talks of how he is drawn to 29029. He’s open to the experiences the mountain presents to him. He’s not there for the red hat or some finish line.

He’s there to “make it meaningful”.

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Find out more about 29029 Everesting HERE

Episode 38 - I Signed Up for 29029! Now What? | Coach Brent Pease Oct 14, 2023

So! You signed up for 29029. Now what?

Maybe you are nervous.

Maybe you are excited.

Maybe you are even a bit scared…..okay you might be REALLY scared.

All of those emotions are okay!

You just signed up to climb 29,029 feet up a mountain in 36 hours. That’s big, but we promise you are going to love it!

Unlike other endurance events, 29029 will be different. You are going to be fully supported and surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals who are seeking to be their best and want to support you in the same journey.

One of the first people you will have the privilege of meeting and interacting with on this wild ride, is our Head Coach, Brent Pease. Brent is a brother, a husband, a father, a multi-sport athlete and coach. When he isn’t pushing his brother Kyle’s racing chair to the finish line of an Ironman or advocating for inclusion in sport for athletes with disabilities, Brent is writing 29029 training plans and answering your questions!

Brent is a huge reason why so many red hats now dot the world. He is one of the most experienced coaches in the country and has lived and breathed 29029 since our first event in 2017.

We figured there was no one better to help you feel confident in your decision to climb 29029 than him!

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Episode 036 - The Community We Create | Grace Henrikson Sep 13, 2023

If you ever have the chance to come to 29029, I hope that you take a moment to just observe.

Watch, listen and just feel…..You'll recognize something profound……29029 has little to do with climbing a mountain.

Of course, on Friday morning at 6am we blow an airhorn and send a 250 people climbing….So yes. There’s definitely a mountain involved.

But what you see, hear and feel at 29029 has everything to do with the people who are there, not the mountain they are climbing.

It’s this special community of mostly strangers embarking on a chance of a lifetime together.

Grace Henrikson found herself signed up for 29029 right before the world would lock down due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. What’s so cool about Grace’s story is that since her first 29029 event (allbeit a virtual one) she has been a part of creating the community we all all benefit from today.

Today Grace owns 3 red hats and has volunteered on the mountain just as many times as she has climbed. Grace’s story is 29029’s story. A story of resilience, strength, commitment and a whole lot of fun!

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Episode 035 - Critical Mindset | Chris Bystriansky Aug 15, 2023

Part of my job as the host and emcee at 29029 events is getting to know the participants who take on the challenge to find their Everest. Over the 4 days that I get to spend with them, I typically get a good read on who they are and some of the roads and backroads they have traveled before climbing our mountains. Each one of them has a story and I see it as my job to unlock a bit of that narrative to help create powerful moments on the mountain.

But sometimes I don’t see the whole story. This was one of those times.

I first met Chris Bystriansky in 2021 at Snowbasin. He was a guy with a great smile and fun personality climbing with his buddies. He struggled and eventually called it a day 3 ascents short of his Everest. \

In 2022, he was back on the mountain in Snowbasin. I knew he had recently moved his family to Orlando with his wife and two young daughters. He and Alison split up their 29029 events between the two Snowbasin weekends that year so one of them would be home with the kids. Alison earned her red hat at Snowbasin #1 and Chris was back for redemption at Snowbasin #2. Again, he was charming and happy. He dug deep and this time conquered his Everest on that mountain.

It wasn’t until months later that Chris sent me a book he had written. When I opened the package and looked at the front cover I saw that familiar grin from the mountain……but then I saw something I didn’t expect. Something I hadn’t realized even after watching Chris climb a total of 23 ascents up Snowbasin in the past two years. On the front cover Chris was holding two artificial hip joints…..Just like his artificial hip joints. Chris not one but two artificial hips!

How does a 39 year old man handle 2 hip replacement surgeries in 18 months with a wife and a small child? How does someone come back from a major surgery and rehabilitation like that to complete multiple Ironman triathlons and climb two 29029 events….when before that being athletic but not an endurance athlete!

It’s a mindset and one that we would all benefit from.

Episode 034 - The Mountain is a Mirror | Julie Traxler Jul 10, 2023

We all create stories in our minds. Some of those stories take the form of wishes and dreams.....maybe hopes and visions for the future.

But let’s be honest, some of those stories aren’t fairytales.

Some of our stories that we create are rooted in fear, shame, vulnerability and served up with a healthy helping of doubt.

Some of the stories you have told yourself about yourself are so unkind you would never speak something like that to someone else.

But yet……those are the stories that seem to play the loudest on a loop in your head.....especially when you attempt something outside of your comfort zone.

Julie Traxler wanted to climb the mountain at 29029. She wanted to wear the red hat. She wanted to watch the brands on the ascent board add up until on Saturday, she would stand atop her Everest at Stratton Mountain Vermont.

Julie hadn’t even started to climb on Friday when the stories she was telling herself…..not the fairytale and rainbow stories…..but the shameful, hateful poisonous stories......started to play over and over in her mind.

Julie’s experience at 29029 is raw and blissfully unfiltered. It is a story of a woman who saw the parts of herself that she hated the most reflected right back to her in the mirror that was her mountain.

The work that it takes to climb the mountains in our lives is hard. Sure, we love to share the beautiful pictures with breathtaking landscapes and exhausted happy people wearing red hats. We all love a good ending.

But to only share those images and those stories does not do justice to the journey that takes place inside the messy middle when we choose climb.

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Ready to find your Everest? Learn more about 29029 HERE

Episode 033 - An Extraordinary Meeting | Michael Parnell Jun 14, 2023

If you’ve listened or followed this podcast before you know we talk a lot about “the why”. Why do we climb? Why do we choose to voluntarily put ourselves in a position to struggle in order to climb the vertical feet of mountain Everest.

Every single participant who presses that red registration button on the 29029 website is there for a different reason. We have participants show up with perfect clarity as to what they are seeking to find and accomplish through their 29029 experience. Others seem to find their why as they train over 20 weeks. Sometimes the realization of “why” develops as the 36 hour clock begins to count down on that Friday morning.

We see these “whys” all over the mountain. They are written on the back of t-shirts and pinned to hydration packs. They are carried in pockets or opened from envelopes. We’ve seen them written on arms and tucked tightly into hearts.

29029 isn’t about climbing a mountain over and over again, it’s all about why you are choosing to be there.

Mike Parnell had a why! He was going to climb 29029 vertical feet at Stratton Mountain in Vermont October 2021 and he was going to do it in the name of his young daughter Ryan who suffers from a rare autoimmune disease.

Though he raised over 100,000 dollars in Ryan’s honor, Mike didn’t really find out why he was on the mountain until after he left.

A chance meeting and an off-handed comment at the awards dinner would propel Mike through a door he never knew existed.....nor did he realize that 29029 was the key.

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Episode 032 - It's Addictive | "Souper" Jenny Levison May 15, 2023

When you create something new like 29029 you never know what will happen. It’s hard to tell if people are going to buy into the idea that climbing up a mountain for 36 hours over a weekend to try to reach the vertical gain of Mt. Everest is a good idea or not.

In 2017 when 29029 was launched, it was a small group of people who were known for enjoying crazy experiences. They loved it! Of course they did. In 2018 as the brand expanded to include an additional location in Snowbasin Utah a larger community had the opportunity to experience this new everesting concept. By 2019 and the pandemic year of 2020, 29029 Everesting had a full-blown community. There were alumni returning to the mountain each season. Those alumni were wearing their red hats and 7 summit triangle shirts. 29029 was growing.

Sitting here years later, it’s impossible to imagine our summers without the mountain. What started as a crazy idea that may or may not have work has become our passion.

Jenny Levison (or Souper Jenny as many of her Restaurant customers in Atlanta know) is one of those individuals who has been there since almost the very beginning. She too didn’t know quite what this 29029 experiment was……

But in the years between Jenny’s first climb in 2018 to today, as she is preparing to take on the mountain for her 4th time, she’s found something she can’t quite let go of…..

Jenny is going to take us back to the early days of 29029 and recount the moments and lessons the mountain has provided in her life. Though Jenny has never had the opportunity to place a red hat on her head……yet……..she comes back for more than that token of completion. She climbs for herself and for the people who tirelessly show up ascent after ascent and year after year as she’s chosen to just keep climbing.

Learn more about 29029 HERE

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Episode 031 - Climbing for a Cause | Dayna Boshard Apr 24, 2023

Beginning in 2017, we have had a front-row seat to 1000s of individuals who have found their way to their own personal Everests while climbing 29029. We can share story after story of participants who found a bigger and better version of themselves in 20 weeks of training and over those 36 hours struggling up the slopes of a mountain. It’s inspiring to see people literally transform before your eyes into more than they ever thought they could be.

Over the past few seasons we’ve seen the reasons why people choose to climb, broaden and expand. While self-mastery is still a big motivator to take on the challenge of climbing 29,029ft, participants are showing up for far greater reasons than just themselves. We’ve seen people raise 100s of thousands of dollars for charitable foundations and personal causes. The impact of their 29029 experience rippling throughout their communities and the world.

Participants are using their own physical and mental strength not just to change themselves but to motivate all of us to step up to the challenge of creating a better world.

Dayna Boshard came to the mountain from a small town in Southern Utah with a big purpose. Her goal was to help children and families who lived, literally, in the shadow of Mt. Everest. Her climb would benefit their daily climb…. She had seen the faces of the Nepalese children struggling for basic skills and opportunity. They hadn’t signed up for the mountain they were asked to climb every day of their lives. But Dayna did and she was able to use 29029 to build something life-changing in a country she’s never stopped foot in.

Eternal Hope International

Episode 030 - A Legendary Finish | Kyle McClung Mar 24, 2023

It's 5:30pm on a Saturday in mid August 2019. 250 individuals have used the preceding 35 and 1/2 hours to test themselves on the slopes at Snowbasin Resort, Utah. Each attempting to complete 29,029 feet of vertical gain or mimicking the vertical accumulation of climbing from sea level to the top of Mt. Everest.

Though the event technically has another 30 minutes until its official 36-hour cut off time, most participants are back at their tents, showered, eating dinner and many are sporting new red hats. They completed the event.

But the mountain is far from empty. There is still one participant on that mountain. He left the base aid station just over 15 minutes ago and is attempting to complete his fastest lap of the last 36 hours before that clock rolls over to 6:00 pm and his time is up.

He is not alone.

Flanked by volunteers, 29029 staff, friends and colleagues, 29029 Co-Founder Marc Hodulich and Head Coach Brent Pease if he's going to make it, he is going to have to run.

What transpires in the next 30 minutes has become legend in the 29029 Community. Even those who weren't there know this story and are heard asking, "Did you hear about that guy in Snowbasin 2019? What was his name?"

His name is Kyle McClung and this is his 29029 Story!

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Episode 029 - What Leaves the Mountain | Mario Minnaert Feb 13, 2023

In 2021, Colleen, the host and emcee for the 29029 events, stepped off her flight to Albany, New York on the way to Stratton Mountain for another epic weekend. As she made her way down to baggage claim without realizing that two sets of eyes were following her gray 29029 hoodie down the escalator.
The owners of those eyeballs soon found some courage asked her if she was, in fact, Colleen "The Voice of the Mountain" at 29029. They introduced themselves as Joe Curtain and Mario Minnaert.
At that moment a friendship was forged, a selfie was taken and the first of many jokes about Mario’s choice in luggage….it was a full-fledged lady-bag you’ve seen your grandma using.....began. Colleen watched Joe and Mario conquer their Everests at Stratton that year and then watched Mario take the mountain and continue to climb.
Whether with his coaching business, his new podcast or the 100 mile race he would go on to complete….The lessons of the mountain went with Mario when he flew back home and they should remain with us too!
The powerful experiences that 29029 creates for participants, volunteers and even spectators are ones that can help propel each of us up the next mountain we will face.......because we all know there are always more mountains to climb.

Don't miss an episode of the 29029 Podcast. Click to subscribe. Want more inspirational stories from the mountain. Find them here.

Episode 028 - It's Not About the Hat | Meg Louvin Jan 16, 2023

How many times in life have you been willing to commit to doing something that you didn’t know the outcome? I’m talking about committing to a project that you didn’t know if you could handle. A deadline that would stretch you so thin you risked failure.
Generally, we don’t commit to things we are not confident we can complete. But that’s just our comfort zone. Where’s the growth in that? If we only set out to do things we know we are good at and we can “finish” we miss all the things we could be successful at.

29029 is a safe place to fail.

It’s not that we don’t love red hats and celebrating climbing the vertical feet of Mount Everest. It’s that we recognize a finish line doesn’t define anyone. In fact, some of the most powerful lessons we’ve learned over the years aren’t from participants donning red bibs and hats. They are the lessons we’re taught by the people who are willing to push forward despite no hope for an Everest summit.

Meg Louvin has never worn red in her two times on the mountain. She doesn’t know what it feels like to crest the mountain on her final lap. What Meg does know just might be more powerful....that 29029 is not just about Everest, it's about all the summits in between.

We don’t go to battle against anyone else on the mountain except ourselves. If you are willing to take a giant step outside of your comfort zone you can redefine every other challenge in your life.

Just ask Meg…….
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Episode 027 - When a Mountain Heals a Heart | Meredith Coviello Dec 19, 2022

We all are acquainted with grief. It’s rare to leave this life without the pain and suffering that comes with our human experience.

Grief is different for everyone and the ways we move through our grief are as unique as the reasons why people sign up to climb a mountain over and over again for 36 hours to reach the vertical gain of Mt. Everest.

But the thing about choosing to climb a mountain with a partner like grief is that you can’t hide. The mountain will cause you to face whatever it is that lies just beneath your surface. If you let it, the mountain will crack you open and then gently put you back together; creating something new. The mountain isn’t afraid of our grief. It’s actually quite comfortable sharing space with wounded hearts.

Maybe that’s why those wounded hearts find 29029.

Meredith Coviello or "Mere" as we would come to know her on the mountain at Snowbasin was acquainted with climbing with her grief. She was 34 and suddenly a widow.

This is the grief that Mere brought with her to 29029, but this isn’t just a story about loss, Mere’s 29029 is about friendship, self-discovery and a new chapter in the same book. Some how there is beauty in grief but maybe only if you are willing to stop and look back to see how far you’ve come.

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Episode 026 - Origins to Anniversaries: 5 Years with 29029 | Adam Hyncik Nov 21, 2022

In 2022 29029 Everesting celebrated our 5th anniversary of challenging individuals to set an Everest-sized goal.

I was scrolling through old photos and came across images from our first event in 2017 at Stratton Mountain Vermont. Some things looked different, like the ascent board and the bibs. Some things operated differently, like the gondola and the schedule. But there was something familiar in those old photos, something I’ve noticed ever since my first time on the mountain in 2019. It was something about the faces! Not that I recognized the faces because many of them I had never met, but it was a look. A countenance. This was a group of people who were all-in. They were determined to find that Everest. Many things may look different these days at a 29029 event, but that look on those faces and that determination remains the same.

Adam Hyncik was one of those faces I saw in those 2017 photographs. How did he get there…Well he accepted a simple invitation.

In 2022 Adam was on the mountain again for his 4th time. 4 times he’s pressed that red button at registration and said YES to whatever the mountain had in store for him that year! What brings someone back to 29029 and what was it really like in those early years? Adam had a front row seat and these are his stories.
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KEEP CLIMBING!

Episode 025 - Flipping the Script | Casey Gilbert Nov 01, 2022

Let’s flip the script today. Instead of worrying so much about the worst case scenarios and what to do to when they happen…… let’s shift to a different, more positive mindset.

Casey Gilbert has traveled the world for years as an online trainer sharing his love for fitness and words of wisdom though the screen on your workout machine. He seems to have limitless energy and strength, but have you ever thought that there might be struggles on the other side of the camera?

Trainers and coaches like Casey are not immune from the demons of negative self-talk and comparison, in fact, we'd argue they have more experience with those things than most of us. Being a fitness professional on-camera is demanding work. It’s through those experiences and Casey’s journey as an athlete that has shaped the man and trainer we met on the mountain in Snowbasin at 29029 this year.

In this episode of the 29029 podcast, Casey shares his personal stories and some mindset tools that can change your life. What if you quit focusing on the worse case scenario and started asking "What if it all went right?"

Episode 024 - The Unexpected Mountain | Kacia & Seena Ghetmeri Aug 08, 2022

If you’ve lived on this earth for more than a few days, you are pretty familiar with the fact that life doesn’t always travel the easiest path. One moment you are on the summit of the mountain enjoying the view and the next you find yourself lost in the deepest valley you’ve ever had to navigate.

Kacia and Seena Ghetmeri signed up for 29029 with fire in their bellies. They were getting out of their comfort zone and they were ready to grow. Newly engaged. Blazing new paths. Budding entrepreneurs! 29029 was perfect!

Little did they know that the growth they were about to experience wasn’t going to come in the form of weekend long workouts put together by Coach Brent. Their growth was going to be closer to home and the mountain wasn’t going to be a workout, it was going to be cancer. Seena’s dad would pass away just weeks before they were supposed to climb Snowbasin.

Though this is a story about loss it’s also one about recalibration…..A story showing how hard seasons are worth navigating because they make the view from the next summit even sweeter.

Find about more about Kacia & Seena and listen to their other podcasts here.

Episode 023 - From Summit to Sand | Shawn Doss Jul 13, 2022

One of the most unique features of a 29029 event is that it is something ANYONE can access. The summit of our mountains have seen finishers of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds. From former olympic and professional athletes, to individuals who had never completed a 5k before 29029…..Our community climbs together, fully-supported to help you accomplish your goals!

Many reach Everest but EVERYONE on the mountain leaves being able to redefine what they think they are capable of.

Shawn Doss turned into an athlete on the slopes of 29029! An ultra-endurance athlete! His red hats left him wanting to find out what more he could do with his body.

In the Spring of 2022, Shawn packed his lessons from the mountain and boarded a plane that took him half-way around the world to compete in what is known as the Toughest Footrace on Earth. This episode is all about his experience!

You may not see it in yourself right now, but YOU TOO can redefine your capabilities. 29029 could be the gateway to adventures you never thought possible!

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Episode 022 - Teach Them How to Do Hard Things | Andy Lausch Jun 15, 2022

What if you could teach your children how to do hard things BEFORE they experienced the hard things in life? What if you brought them to a mountain, set a goal to reach the summit and then climbed every step beside them?

In this special Father’s Day episode of the 29029 podcast we introduce you to a father who did just that….not once, but twice. Andy Lausch is no stranger to endurance sport. He’s completed 30 marathons, 50k's and 50 milers and even conquered the king of ultra running, the 100 miler. But Andy’s greatest accomplishments in the world of endurance came as he stood side-by-side his daughters, wearing red bibs and hats in 2019 on the top of Snowbasin, Utah and in 2021 at the top of Sun Valley, Idaho.

In celebration of Father’s everywhere and the impact and legacy they can leave to their children. Meet Andy.

See pictures of Andy and his daughters at 29029 here.
Read more stories from our 29029 community here.

Episode 021 - Becoming Coach Chris Part 2 of 2 | Chris Hauth May 24, 2022

A unique aspect of 29029 events is coaching. When you commit to climbing 29029 feet our Coaching staff makes sure that you have the tools and the training you need to achieve your goal! Each registered participant is provided with a guided 20-week training plan and bi-weekly group coaching calls all created and hosted by our head Coach Brent Pease. You can hear Coach Brent’s story and more about his passion for coaching back in Episode 007.

As the years have gone by, Coach Brent has grown the 29029 coaching staff to include some of the best coaches and athletes in the business. In this final part of this two-part episode, we learn some deep life lessons from Coach Chris Hauth, a staple of our 29029 Coaching Staff. If you’ve met him, if you’ve heard him speak, his soft, kind manner has probably drilled right through to your heart opening you to greater clarity and understanding for who we become through endurance sport. Though Chris has helped propel 100s of people to the top of the 29029 mountains, what we can learn from his personal trials and adversity might be the trigger to get us to the top of even tougher mountains!

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Find out more about coaching with Coach Chris Hauth

Episode 020 - Becoming Coach Chris Part 1 of 2 | Chris Hauth May 24, 2022

A unique aspect of 29029 events is coaching. When you commit to climbing 29029 feet our Coaching staff makes sure that you have the tools and the training you need to achieve your goal! Each registered participant is provided with a guided 20-week training plan and bi-weekly group coaching calls all created and hosted by our head Coach Brent Pease. You can hear Coach Brent’s story and more about his passion for coaching back in Episode 007.

As the years have gone by, Coach Brent has grown the 29029 coaching staff to include some of the best coaches and athletes in the business. In this episode we introduce you to Coach Chris, a staple of our 29029 Coaching Staff. If you’ve met him, if you’ve heard him speak, his soft, kind manner has probably drilled right through to your heart opening you to greater clarity and understanding for who we become through endurance sport. Though Chris has helped propel 100s of people to the top of the 29029 mountains, what do we really know about Chris Hauth? In this two-part episode you'll hear his story!

To read more stories from the 29029 Community!
Find out more about coaching with Coach Chris Hauth

Episode 019 - When You Choose to Keep Climbing | John Peel Apr 13, 2022

You probably know John Peel as one of iFIT’s most popular trainers; his iconic smile, positive attitude and globetrotting workout series (and let’s not forget about his abs!). His ability to drop nuggets of wisdom and motivation have inspired the masses for more than a decade. But, John’s life wasn’t a straight forward path to celebrity trainer status. This is a story of a star-athlete, turned injured red-shirt who fought to become one of the nation's most recognizable fitness trainers. John has a profound lesson to share of what happens when we simply choose to KEEP CLIMBING!

Find more stories and information about 29029 Everesting here.
Connect with John Peel here.

Episode 018 - Finding Rock Bottom | Jen Zebley Mar 22, 2022

When you hear the name Zebley around the lodge at 29029, you probably assume someone is talking about Thomas Zebley. He's a legend on these mountains, earning that coveted red hat six times. But starting in 2020, there was a new Zebley on the scene. One that had a front-row seat for years, but was now ready to blaze her own path. Meet Jen! Wife of Thomas Zebley and mother of their two beautiful daughters. After completing the 29029 Virtual Idaho event in 2020, she went on to climb not once, but twice in 2021, earning two of her own red hats in the process! Jen tells the story of two mountains. One that went perfectly as planned and one that took her to a place where she had to reevaluate everything she knew about success.

Read more stories about Jen and Thomas here.

Episode 017 - Why Your Story Matters | Keichun Graves Feb 21, 2022

We met Keichun in Snowbasin, Utah at 29029, but her mission of inspiration and inclusion started long before that first ascent. Keichun understands the impact of sharing our stories. She knows there is value and inclusion that comes from seeing someone who looks like us and struggles like us blazing a path that we can follow. Just think....Sharing your story might be the way that someone realizes there is a space and a place for them to dream Everest-sized goals.

Read more about Keichun and her 29029 story here.

Episode 016 - What's Your Everest? | Colin O'Brady Jan 18, 2022

Meet Colin O’Brady, 29029 co-founder, 10-time world record holder, the first man to cross Antarctica, solo, unsupported and completely human-powered, part of the first team to row across the infamous Drake Passage, top speaker and New York Times bestselling author……let’s just say, Colin knows how to dream big. Listen to Colin's powerful stories as he shows you how to set and accomplish Everest-sized goals. Get ready to ask yourself, "What's Your Everest?"

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Read Colin's book The Impossible First.

Episode 015 - Tales From The Mountain | Jared King Feb 28, 2021

After he returned from summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro, Jared King was looking for more. He wanted to know what was next. In a moment of serendipity, he learned about 29029 and was immediately drawn to the experience.

In this episode of the 29029 podcast Jared discusses his experience of the Utah virtual event in 2020 and his goals for the 'family reunion' that will go down at Snowbasin, Utah in 2021.

For lessons on dealing with mental blocks and challenges, this is a must listen episode.

"I sat down on a bench and started hysterically crying. It just came out of me. I was so emotional, and it was such a low moment. It brought up so many questions and feelings that had been suppressed and that I needed to work through. Am I good enough? Can I do this? Do I have what it takes? Am I strong enough? Am I enough as a person? These are questions that many of us have in our heads, but we’re never given the opportunity to express or deal with. 29029 is a microcosm for how you think about life and how you think about everything else you do. Dealing with those emotions allowed me to make progress in life and will be a moment I won’t forget."

Episode 014 - 29029 Live with co-founders Jesse Itzler, Colin O'Brady and Marc Hodulich Feb 24, 2021

Want a dose of positivity, motivation and community? Today's special edition of the 29029 Podcast delivers that in spades.

We brought together our co-founders, Jesse Itzler, Colin O'Brady and Marc Holdulich and our 2021 participants to talk about taking the special journey that is 29029.

Thanks to Colleen Rue for hosting and guiding the conversation.

To learn more about 29029 and to join the community, check out 29029everesting.com.

Episode 013 - Tales From The Mountain | Colleen Rue Feb 15, 2021

If you've been to 29029, you know. Colleen Rue is the "Voice of the Mountain." Her ability to connect with our participants, and provide them with the inspiration and motivation they need to do more than they thought possible.

In this episode of the 29029 podcast, Colleen describes her athletic background, which helps her 'know where people are at,' throughout their 29029 experience.

She describes what it was like to translate her skills to the 2020 virtual 29029 events and how those moments of struggle will support us create the feeling of a 'family reunion' on our mountains in 2021.

Learn more and create your own 29029 story at 29029everesting.com

Episode 012 - Tales From The Mountain | Dave Hollis Jan 29, 2021

Dave Hollis and his wife Rachel Hollis, came to 29029 Utah, with little to no concept of what they were in for. What transpired in the 48 hours to follow proved to be the most transformative experience of Dave's life. It allowed him to reframe what he deemed possible, and he has used the skills and belief he developed on the mountain to face his latest challenge, divorce.

In today's episode you'll hear Dave articulately describe how his 29029 experience set him on a physical and mental journey of discovery in 2020, that he admits may not have been navigated as successfully, if not for his time at Snowbasin in the Summer of 2019.

Read Dave's story here

To create your own 29029 story visit 29029everesting.com to sign up for a 2021 event today.

Episode 011 - Tales From The Mountain | Chuck Wade Jan 15, 2021

Chuck Wade is an important part of the 29029 community and he has an impactful tale to tell.

In April 2018, Chuck was in a place that will be familiar for many. He seemingly had it all, a great job, supportive partner and great family life. Yet -- there was something missing. A disconnection from himself. A battle with depression and anxiety led him to 29029 and a chance to do something for himself. To set a goal and do more than he ever thought possible.

The whole experience has translated into more confidence and a renewed sense of self. He's a better husband, father and businessman as a result of his 29029 journey.

Catch this inspiring and authentic tale from the mountain and read more about Chuck's story here.

If you're a fan of 29029, you'll want to check out the latest exclusive and limited edition 29029 apparel here. Tickets for our 2021 events go on sale on January 27 - save the date!