07/27/2026
One of my absolute favorite stories right here--highlighting the one and only, Karmen O'Bando.
If you thanked her for lifting someone else up, she'd immediately tell you about the person who had encouraged her. However, all of us that were a part of week 2 would argue that SHE became one of the biggest sources of encouragement our group had. Her positivity was contagious, and her belief in others never faded. This is just who Karmen is.
I'm incredibly proud of the mountain she climbed, but I'm even more proud of the confidence she built in herself long before we reached 14,066 feet. There is nothing better than seeing someone else succeed, and I'll never forget Karmen's reaction when she reached the top. She is strong, and she is unstoppable.
Now it's your turn to hear her story.
"If you would have told me a year ago that I would stand on top of a 14,066 foot mountain, I would have laughed. Not a chance. I’m out of shape. I’m afraid of heights. I don’t hike. And at 54, I honestly thought that dream belonged to someone else.
Then, in January, Coach Holly at HPC held an informational meeting about the Summit Project. As I sat there listening to the stories from those who had completed the journey in 2025 and hearing everyone talk about their “why,” something inside me changed.
I wanted this! Not because I thought I could do it but because I wanted to find out if I could.
From that night on, we had five months to prepare physically, nutritionally, and mentally for our trip to Colorado. Nutrition came surprisingly easy thanks to Holly’s coaching and weekly check ins. The physical training slowly became part of my routine with daily workouts, thousands of steps, weighted vest walks, stair climbing, running, and strength training.
Mentally, well that was another story. Every group hike we did, I found myself near the back. While I was proud of how far I had come on the Minnesota trails, I constantly wondered how I was ever going to climb a 14er. I was worried I would slow everyone down and become the burden.
More than once I thought, I am going to die on this mountain.
As Summit week arrived, those doubts only grew. Monday’s acclimation hike reminded me just how different Colorado was. Every incline left me gasping for air. Tuesday’s hike to 12,000 feet was even harder. Once again, I was the last one to reach the top and the last one back down. But something kept happening.
Encouragement. Every step. Every stop. No one complained. No one rushed me. No one made me feel like I didn’t belong.
Wednesday morning, I sat alone at 4:00 a.m. with my coffee, crying. I wasn’t even sure why. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was anxiety. Maybe it was the realization that tomorrow was Summit Day.
Later that morning, during our short hike, Coach Holly walked beside me and quietly said, "You’re going out too fast. Go your pace. Stop worrying about keeping up. Get out of your head.” Those words stayed with me. I made the hike up and sat and enjoyed the view of the beauty that lies between the mountains.
Then came Thursday. SUMMIT DAY!! Butterflies in stomach still strong through car ride to trailhead. Car group with Lisa, Jen and Shane nerves and fist bumps. We got this!! Boots on the ground at 2:45 a.m. Headlamps on eleven of us hiking into the darkness.
It did not take long before I was behind the group again. As we climbed higher, I needed more and more stops just to catch my breath. The larger group would stop to wait every so often to allow my slow ass to catch up.
Coach Holly checked on each of us, all thumbs up and we moved on.
Not once did I feel alone. Shane, our sweep, never left my side. He kept reminding me, “We are just walking. We have time.” Chad, Hannah & Matt stepped back from the group countless times to check on me, adjust the weight in my pack, offer peppermint oil, and remind me that the goal was not sp*ed. Sam, Steve, Kristina, Jen and Lisa reminded me the goal was simply to keep moving forward.
As the sun rose, we still had about a mile to go. Looking ahead, the trail looked hard (all of this was hard). Looking behind, I couldn’t believe how far we had already climbed. That view though!!
Shane would call out, “You’re at 12,000 feet.”
A little later…
“Now you’re over 13,000.”
Then…
“You’ve only got 500 feet left.”
I never once thought, I can’t do this. I definitely muttered a few colorful words. I even asked if there was a shortcut. Apparently, there are not any elevators on 14ers. 🤣
Finally, we reached the base of the SUMMIT scramble. Steep rocks. Little defined trail. A massive drop off that I looked at only once. That was more than I should have. 😳 The excitement from the group was contagious. There was singing, laughter, cheering and before I knew it, we were climbing the final stretch.
Then, we made it! 14,066 feet. The tears came immediately. Hugs. Laughter. Pure joy.
Standing on that SUMMIT surrounded by some of the most beautiful people I now know as friends & unbelievable views God has ever created, I felt something I cannot quite put into words.
Gratitude. Strength. Peace.
I also realized something else. The other ten people on that mountain could have reached the summit much faster without me. But not once, not one single time, did anyone make me feel like I didn’t belong. Instead, they made sure we all finished together. That is something I will never forget!
I came home with far more than a SUMMIT photo.
I came home knowing that I am capable of so much more than I believed. I learned that sometimes the biggest mountain is not the one beneath your feet. It is the one inside your head! I also learned that accepting help is not weakness it is part of the journey.
To Coach Holly, thank you for having a dream big enough to invite all of us into it.
To every person who encouraged me through this journey, waited for me, believed in me, and climbed beside me, thank you! You helped me accomplish something I once believed was impossible. I can do hard things!! Scratch that, WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!!
If you ever have the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and join one of Coach Holly’s Summit journeys, do it!! You just might discover that you are stronger than you ever imagined. You will also meet some amazing big-hearted people!!"
