AC/DC, pierced nipples, campfires, and cans of Keystone Light—this was my upbringing. I was raised in rural Eastern Oregon, where conservative populism was not debated but assumed. Though my parents seemed to contradict the stereotype—I was born of a teen pregnancy—my worldview was narrow long before I had language for it. Today, I am the family outcast. I travel. I chose a nontraditional career as a massage therapist and write in ways that deny me privacy. I have been married twice, both...

If I could finish in the top ten, I’d earn a direct entry to UTMB—no lottery, no waiting, just a ticket to the race I’d been dreaming about. But I knew how unlikely that was. Around me stood some of the strongest runners I’d ever lined up with, ready to take on the Kodiak 100 in Big Bear Lake, California, one of the UTMB Majors. The plan was simple: finish.  Crossing the line would earn me eight running stones—points toward the UTMB lottery—and that alone would move me one step closer to...

A look back at the races, challenges, and wins that helped me qualify for UTMB 2026—including Antelope Canyon, Canyons 50K, Kodiak 100, and more.