Kara Whitely

Kara Richardson Whitely has hiked Mount Kilimanjaro three times while weighing as much as 300 pounds. Why three times? Because sometimes that's what it takes to get over something. She finished Gorge, her inspiring and empowering book about the experience, while working with Cheryl Strayed in the French Alps.

Kara, who is also a motivational public speaker, has written for Self, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Runner's World magazines. She was recently featured on Oprah's Lifeclass, was one of Outside magazine's 127 Defining Moments finalists, and has been written about in Redbook and American Hiker magazine. She lives in Summit, New Jersey, with her husband, Chris, and two daughters.