For 20 weeks, Missy Huffman has been training to reach new heights. On Monday, she left for Utah to get acclimated for the Snowbasin 29029 Everesting climb. The number refers to the elevation of Mt. Everest. Climbers hike the Snowbasin 13 times to get the equivalent elevation of Everest.
"It's been a long 20 weeks of training, "Huffman said. 'You know, a lot of it is just kinda to prove to myself that I can do hard things."
Huffman was in her 40s in 2016 when she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
"I knew something was wrong before then," Huffman recalled. "It was getting harder to write and I was having trouble with the keyboard ... I was slowing down and that was kinda bothering me."
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Exercise is one of the things doctors prescribe. Huffman, who was always active, has continued to run races, walk her neighborhood, and swim, but Everesting is something she's never attempted.
"This is hard, and it's gonna be hard," Huffman said.
The climb is about more than conquering a mountain; it's about conquering fears, assumptions, and limitations.
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"To show other people Parkinson's isn't always what you think it is, and that just because we have something it doesn't mean it defines us," Huffman said. "If someone tells you they have Parkinson's, it may not look like what you expect."
It may look like Huffman climbing up Snowbasin. She'll have 36 hours to complete the Everesting climb.
"I'm gonna try this. I may not get to Everest, I may not get 29,029. I may not get halfway, but I'm gonna try. It's a crazy idea and it's just crazy enough for me to try it," Huffman said. "I can't wait to see what I can do."
Huffman will begin her climb on Friday morning and finish on Saturday evening.
