Gorge

Kara knew she could reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. She had done it once before. That's why, when she failed in a second attempt, it brought her so low. As she struggled with food addiction and looked for ways to cope with feelings of failure and shame, Kara's weight shot to more than 300 pounds. Deep in her personal gorge, Kara realized the only way out was up. She resolved to climb the mountain again,and this time, she would reach the summit without waiting for her plus-sized status to disappear. Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds is the raw story of Kara's ascent from the depths of self-doubt to the top of the world. Her difficult but inspiring trek speaks to every woman who has struggled with her self-image or felt that food was controlling her life. Honest and unforgettable, Kara's journey is one of intense passion, endurance, and self-acceptance. In Gorge, Kara shows that big women can do big things.

“"[Richardson Whitely] writes accessibly and frankly about her struggles with both Kilimanjaro and her self-image...This detailed account of her travails will give confidence not only to hesitant would-be mountaineers but to those, like her, whose biggest hurdle is 'to learn to be O.K. with who I was.'"-- New York Times Sunday Book Review”

"In Gorge, Kara Richardson Whitely takes us where few have dared to go before: thrillingly up to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and profoundly down to the darkest depths of food addiction. Kara is fearlessly honest and powerfully intelligent. I was moved and inspired by every page of this beautiful book."--Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail "Gorge reminds us of just how strong the human spirit is, and how resilience and determination can, in fact, triumph over despair."--Ann Hood, author of Comfort: A Journey Through Grief "Kara Richardson Whitely wasn't about to let her weight stop her from conquering the roof of Africa. Her triumph as a plus-sized hiker is as inspiring as it is refreshing."--Backpacker Magazine "This detailed account of [Kara Richardson Whitely's] travails will give confidence not only to hesitant would-be mountaineers but to those, like her, whose biggest hurdle is 'to learn to be O.K. with who I was.'"--The New York Times

Kara Richardson Whitely has hiked Mount Kilimanjaro three times while weighing as much as 300 pounds. Why three times? Because sometimes that's what it takes to get over something. She finished Gorge, her inspiring and empowering book about the experience, while working with Cheryl Strayed in the French Alps.Kara, who is also a motivational public speaker, has written for Self, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Runner's World magazines. She was recently featured on Oprah's Lifeclass, was one of Outside magazine's 127 Defining Moments finalists, and has been written about in Redbook and American Hiker magazine. She lives in Summit, New Jersey, with her husband, Chris, and two daughters.

The inspiring memoir of a plus-size woman who summited Kilimanjaro while overcoming fat prejudice and her own demons -- "I was moved and inspired by every page of this beautiful book" (Cheryl Strayed) Kara Richardson Whitely was determined to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. But she struggled with each step -- with the grueling conditions on the steep mountainside, with the 300-pound weight of her own body, and with her food addiction, which came from a lifetime of reckoning with feelings of failure and shame. Deep in her personal gorge, Kara realized the only way out was up. Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds is the raw story of Kara's ascent from the depths of self-doubt to the top of the world. Her inspiring trek speaks to every woman who has struggled with her self-image or felt that food was controlling her life. Honest and unforgettable, Kara's journey is one of intense passion, endurance, and self-acceptance.

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