Hello, everyone, and welcome to episode two of the well. This week we're talking to my good friend

and North Face teammate Hillary Allen, aka the hilly goat. Hillary's long been one of the best

sky runners and ultra runners in the world earning lots of wins and podium performances in some of

the most competitive and important international races. But just as she was ascending to the

top level of the sport, in fact, when she was ranked number one in the Sky Running World Series in

2017, Hillary's whole life sort of came crashing down, quite literally. She suffered 150-foot

fall off of an exposed mountain ridge while she was in the middle of a race in Tromsome, Norway.

She miraculously survived the fall, but she was told that she likely would never return to the same level of performance and competitiveness that she once occupied in the sport.

So obviously the physical injuries were severe, but the emotional

consequences were equally difficult. And we talk a lot about that here in this episode. And as you'll

hear, after a long and arduous rehabilitation from that fall, and after a few successful races,

just as she was starting to see some light at the end of the

tunnel, she suffered a badly broken ankle in the spring of this year, 2019, leading to several

more months of recovery.

But rather than giving up, Hillary battled back and she was able to finish second in the

legendary 145 kilometer TDS race this past August in Chamonie, France.

So you'll hear how Hillary dealt with those incredibly difficult circumstances and maintained

a belief in herself and in her future as an elite athlete when there was seemingly no hope in

sight. And, you know, her story is really a true

comeback story, even if she doesn't like using that word herself. And a story that I've taken a lot

of personal inspiration from has I recovered from my own significantly less serious injuries.

But while there are a few people who can say they've literally fallen off a mountain like Hillary has, I think,

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