55 Days until Kilimanjaro

 

55 Days Until Kilimanjaro: Setbacks, Second Opinions & Staying the Course

Today marks 55 days before I set foot on Mount Kilimanjaro. I’d love to say training has been going perfectly—but truthfully, it hasn’t gone quite as planned.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve only managed to get out for two hikes. Part of that was due to an ingrown toenail that sent me to a podiatrist. I went in expecting a quick fix and left with a laundry list of things “wrong” with my feet—including a flat foot diagnosis and something that hit me hard: “arthritis in your toes.”

That news shook me. For a moment, I began to question everything I had been working toward.

But something didn’t sit right with me, so I got a second opinion—and I’m glad I did. Turns out, I don’t have arthritis. My feet are somewhat flat, but not in a way that would stop me from hiking or living the active outdoor life I love.

This reminder—that not all expert opinions are final and that I know my body—lit a new fire in me.

So here I am, 55 days out. Not where I wanted to be, but still on the path. Still standing. Still climbing.

In the next 50 days, I plan to push harder. To return to regular training, get back on the horse I nearly fell off of, and lean into the mindset that got me here in the first place. The mountain isn’t going anywhere—but neither am I.

Kilimanjaro is waiting, and I’m coming.

If there’s one thing this journey keeps teaching me, it’s that setbacks aren’t endings—they’re reminders to recalibrate and recommit. So here’s to the next stretch of training, to stronger steps, and to choosing belief over doubt. One step at a time.