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!