Alison Kirk: From Addiction & Eating Disorders to Peak-Bagging, Ultra Running, and Healing

Host Connie welcomes Alison Kirk—author, entrepreneur, elite climber, ultra runner, and co-founder of The Kirk Project—who shares how a childhood shaped by alcoholism led to her own addiction, then a turning point hiking at Echo Lake that reignited her drive to change. Alison describes transforming through running, then struggling with anorexia and bulimia, and surviving a 2011 winter climbing accident that broke her femur and sparked deeper recovery through therapy and support groups. She recounts building a life with her current husband John centered on mountains, completing every Colorado peak above 10,000 feet, and launching The Kirk Project to climb all contiguous U.S. peaks above 12,000 feet (about 2,122). Alison also details years of unexplained illness caused by cobalt metal poisoning from femur hardware, the importance of having a support team, cultivating a growth mindset, and “doing hard things.”

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00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:35 Ultra Running Buckles
02:25 Childhood and Addiction Roots
05:38 Echo Lake Turning Point
07:52 Gym Comeback and New Life
09:51 Marathons and Fourteeners
12:12 Eating Disorders Spiral
13:56 Near Fatal Climbing Fall
18:25 Recovery Divorce and Support
21:31 Kirk Project Peak Goals
25:01 Mysterious Illness and Gaslighting
27:56 Metal Poisoning Diagnosis
29:14 Growth Mindset and Hard Things
32:59 Books Socials and Farewell

Connie here! Want to know more about my book "Speeding to Compassion: Life Lessons and Humor to the Highroad", acupuncture, and my online yoga classes? Check out my website