Great to meet you guys 
I’m based in Edinburgh, UK and am originally from Australia. I really love hill walking and mountain climbing – have done a bit in the Alps, Scotland obviously and South America. Having been pretty fit for the last 10 years, the pandemic kind of ruined it all and I found myself hunched over a laptop for 10 hours a day, grateful for my job but doing almost no physical activity. Now that things are sort of returning to normal, I’m super keen to build back up – slowly and hopefully without injury. I’m definitely starting from zero on the base programme and crossing fingers it doesn’t kill me
Hi, my name is Emese (pronounced Emma-sha) and I’m from Berkeley, CA. For the last few years, I spend spring, summer and fall in the Transylvanian region of Romania where I have a high end immersive agritourism guesthouse with organic farm.
I started mountaineering and rock climbing in the early 1990’s, along with other extreme sports like mountain biking, white water kayaking, windsurfing and racing 2 person sail boats. I’ve been on backcountry ski patrol since 2002. Very prolific climbing on the West Coast, as well as internationally. I’ve slowed down a bit (turning 60 this March), now concentrating on mountaineering, backpacking, hiking, etc. I used the New Alpinism book as a guide for training for big mountains starting in 2015, so familiar with the program, but wanted to get the most current info and try out a coached training program. I haven’t been too active in mountaineering lately as I took a bad step on a steep ice patch on Denali in 2017. My crampons held, but my ankle twisted, down I went with a 65 lbs pack, and ended up with 3 broken bones in my right ankle. (No, no helicopter rescue, but there was a lot of butt scooting before getting to terrain appropriate for a sled.) Recovery was quick but now I’m a scaredy cat on very steep slopes.
My goal for summer 2022 is to climb Mt. Blanc and the Matterhorn. Looking forward to getting back in shape and getting out in the mountains!
Hello everyone! My name is Amanda and I live in Boston, MA. This is my first time on FUA and am already loving the training plans, educational sessions, and community feel! I am a huge lover of the outdoors though growing up I spent most of my life at sea level. I was a competitive sailor for much of my teens and twenties. I still sail and race to this day, even to the point that I am a dedicated member of our ‘frostbiting’ fleet that race throughout the winter.
I didn’t start getting into the mountains until I was in college in North Carolina. I started backpacking, rock climbing, hiking, with an on campus group and was hooked! Since moving up to Boston in 2014, I’ve been availing myself of all the opportunities in the Whites, Presidentials, you name it. I’ve also fallen in love with skiing and winter hiking. In 2019, my father asked if I would consider climbing Kilimanjaro with him and my brother in 2020. The trip was planned and then BAM…COVID. I had been training with a coach prior to COVID and maintained my training plan with her remotely throughout the lockdowns. However, the more I researched the route the more I realized that I might need specific guidance since neither she nor I have ever trained for this kind of objective. The trip is planned for January 2022, just in time to taper from this program. If anyone here lives in the New England area and is looking for a hiking friend, let me know! I have very few brave friends who are willing to come hike with me past November 1 
Amanda
Hey Catherine! Yes I would love that! I have not spent much time in the Adirondacks so it would be great to see another mountain range and make a new hiking friend Let’s connect off of FUA and find a time! Does email work to start? (alyall@bwh.harvard.edu)
Looking forward to chatting!
Hi Everyone!
I know I’m a little late to the party but… my name is Allison and I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. I grew up a swimmer and swam from childhood, through high school and college but then stopped once I graduated. I have always enjoyed the outdoors, being on the beach, camping, surfing, biking etc but after meeting my boyfriend 3 years ago, my love for the mountains, backpacking and climbing skyrocketed! He introduced me to a different side of the mountains that I didn’t think I was ever capable of adventuring to. We live near a great park with lots of trails and have done a handful of local and NY backpacking trips.
At the start of this year we decided to try our hand at climbing Mt. Hood (with a guided group). I began training with the help of my boyfriend and by following the Uphill Athlete book Training for the New Alphinism. This book really opened my eyes and helped educate me on aspects of training I never really knew about or understood. It was a great starter guide for training to climb bigger mountains. Unfortunately, our climb was postponed to next summer due to mountain conditions 
Currently, we are training to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Feb 2022 (13 weeks away!) and I could not be more EXCITED!! I knew when I started training for this climb, I needed to be improve on what I had started earlier this year and be more diligent with training. In August, I found out about FUA and am so happy I decided to join! Throughout my swim training I learned that I definitely train better with others and when I have guidance. I am loving the workouts, the zoom calls, and all of the knowledge I am learning. It’s awesome to have a community of likeminded people by side as I train.
Allison:)
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