Peak Perspectives: Dierdre Wolownick's Symphony of Language, Music, and Climbing
Papa Bear Hikes
Papa Bear Hikes
5 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 18 December 2023
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Meet Dierdre Wolownick, a New York City native with a 44-year journey that is as diverse as her talents. She is not just a linguistic virtuoso but also a distinguished writer, publishing award-winning works through her independent company.
As a lifelong musician, Dierdre's repertoire includes flute, clarinet, and keyboard. In her pursuit of adventure, she founded and directed the West Sacramento Community Orchestra for four years, leaving an indelible mark on the local arts community.
At 55, she embraced running, conquering marathons and half-marathons. Venturing into rock climbing at 59, she aimed to connect with her son, Alex Honnold, a renowned climber, unknowingly setting the stage for history.
At 66, Dierdre became the oldest woman to conquer Yosemite's El Capitan, alongside her son famous for "Free Solo." In 2019, she chronicled this daring adventure in "The Sharp End of Life."
Celebrating her 70th birthday in 2021, Dierdre ascended El Capitan again, solidifying her trailblazer status. Her exploits, documented in "Climbing into Life," a 2023 release, have garnered global attention.
Dierdre is not just a climber; she's Alex Honnold's mother, adding another layer to her story. Breaking records at 66, she climbed El Capitan twice. Her climbing journey, starting at 60, reflects a desire to understand and connect with her son's passion, making her a revered figure in Yosemite Valley.
Join us on Papa Bear Hikes as we explore the extraordinary life of Dierdre Wolownick—a linguist, writer, musician, and history-making climber.
🌟 Ready to be inspired by the incredible journey of Dierdre Wolownick? 🏞️ Follow her on Instagram for exclusive glimpses into her world of language, music, and daring climbs! 🧗♀️ Join the adventure and connect with a true trailblazer. Follow Dierdre Wolownick on Instagram: dierdre_wolownick_honnold and her Blog: dierdrew.us today! 🚀 #DierdreWolownick #AdventureAwaits
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I've talked about learning how to rock climb for years. I just turned 59 a couple weeks ago and after this interview I'm thinking it might be time I learned. Let's find out why. Today I have with us, I'm going to say an incredible guest. |
| 0:20.3 | Our guest has taught five foreign languages and three continents for 44 years. |
| 0:27.0 | Her writing has won awards, her independent publishing company has produced several award winners and international sellers. |
| 0:35.0 | A performing musician all her life, she founded the West Sacramento Community Orchestra, which she has conducted for four years. |
| 0:42.0 | She also plays community orchestras in smaller ensembles. |
| 0:46.2 | She plays a flute, clarinet, keyboard, piano, arps accord, stylophone, accordion, just to mention a few. And at 55, if that wasn't enough, at 55, she took up running. |
| 0:58.7 | Marathons, half marathons and other races. And at 59, she started rock climbing. Still not enough at 66. She became the |
| 1:09.7 | oldest woman to climb Yosemite's iconic El Capitan with her son Alex Arnold. You might |
| 1:16.8 | know who he is and if you don't check out the Oscar winning documentary free solo. |
| 1:21.4 | Deirdre Wallinich, welcome to Papa Bear Hikes. |
| 1:24.0 | Hey, thanks for inviting me. |
| 1:26.0 | Deirdre, as I said, wow, what a journey and it's not over by far. |
| 1:30.0 | No, not by far. |
| 1:32.0 | All the things you have done, you know, teaching foreign languages, the music, etc, and then at 55 you took up running. |
| 1:40.0 | It was at like a point where you said, I want to start doing some outdoor activities? |
| 1:44.0 | Not exactly. It kind of happened serendipitously. I mean my daughter's a long distance |
| 1:52.2 | runner and my son when he's up on the mountainsides you know on his |
| 1:57.0 | expeditions on their rest days they go running you know to keep in shape and I I was, that was not my kind of life back then. |
| 2:06.2 | I was more than full-time teaching. |
| 2:10.2 | I was doing two different, what do you call estates, my father had just died, and my father-in-law had just died, and my husband just died. |
| 2:22.0 | And I was working on all the states in my so-called spare time in the evenings. |
| 2:28.0 | And then like 10 or 11, I couldn't see any longer, |
... |
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