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When Colleen was a kid, her mom read her a story about a family stranded in a storm on Kilimanjaro. Most kids would have been scared. Colleen thought: “I have to go there.”
Colleen MacDonald is a mountaineer and ultrarunner specializing in 50 and 100-mile ultras. Her unshakable grit and love of flying down technical descents has led her to many adventures and advocacy projects (which you can hear about in our past two episodes together!).
In 2025, that focus took Colleen to Mt. Kilimanjaro, where she set an FKT on a route she and her partner established. She turned this adventure into an advocacy project to raise thousands of dollars for women’s wilderness scholarships.
Colleen and Angie talked about:
- Years of planning this high mountain adventure, with logistical challenges
- How a childhood fascination with the mountain led her here
- Turning her FKT attempt into a fundraiser for women’s wilderness scholarships
- The FKT recap: 62 miles and a new route
- BTS of Kili: guides, porters, female leadership, and support from her partner
- The ascent and descent play-by-play, then health effects after the feat
- Finding a voice in advocacy and representation for women outdoors
- Getting comfortable with visibility and speaking up for others
Other conversations with Colleen:
- Spring 2025: DNF’s, Post-Race Blues, and Competition for Collaboration: Colleen’s Ultrarunning Story
- Winter 2026: Athletes are Advocates to Speak Out Against Fascism: Tips for Speaking Up Even When It’s Scary
Check out these resources:
- 📱 Colleen on IG: @m_cmacdonald
- ➡️ The Cairn Project on IG
- ✨ The Cairn Project’s newsletter
- 🥾 Become a Trailblazer
- 📅 Summit Scholarship Foundation
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You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond:
- Become a Trailblazer. Your Adventure Fundraiser makes wilderness experiences possible for girls and women.
- Check out the Summit Scholarship Foundation.
- Join our book club, Grit Lit.
- Share this episode with a friend or family member.
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The Cairn Project
Mobilizing to empower young women in the outdoors through grantmaking.