Mountain Athlete Stories. 📖

The Answer the Bell Ultra Basic is a 24-hour test of discipline, focus, and mental resilience. Inspired by backyard ultras and last-runner-standing challenges, the Basic requires athletes to complete 24 laps in 24 hours. Each 1.2 miles with 600 feet of vertical gain and loss. When the hour strikes, gear up and turn that headlamp on and head back up the mountain.

The First to Ever Finish

This is the story of how I became the first person to finish Answer the Bell, and the youngest Mountain Athlete in IronHike history to attempt something this demanding, driven by a stubborn, unwavering willingness to rise every time the mountain tried to knock me down.

Birthday Plans: Finding an Event to Break Me

A few weeks before the October 2025 event series, I Googled “ultra marathons near me.” On findarace.com, I stumbled across IronHike and noticed an event scheduled for my 17th birthday.

When people asked how I planned to celebrate, I said:

“I want to test my mental toughness, and my physical limits.”

Why Suffering Matters

I’ve seen how quickly lives can change within a second, especially as a volunteer firefighter and EMT myself. We take our privileges truly for granted until tragedy strikes. But resilience lives in the ability to pivot. Growth hides in discomfort, and in the pain most people avoid.

That’s what’s so special about IronHike events; it forces you into rewarding suffering, surrounded by a tribe of people who choose to prove their level grit to themselves.

Nightfall, Fueling, and the Low Point

IronHike events are 90% self supported with food, hydration, and recovery. The other 10% comes from ‘pit crew’ who know exactly when to give a cup of hot noodles or encouragement to you.

I knew my low point would hit somewhere between 01:00 and 04:00. There were just two of us on the mountain during those hours: myself and Jason Dow, who was on his third attempt at The Olympus Mons Ultra and later finished. Everyone else had gone to sleep in their tents to finish in the morning.

I did this all completely with no music while trekking, so I could be locked in on my plan. Meaning I was alone with my thoughts for 24 hours; Think of it as like a long meditation session.

The night was cold, which definitely made climbing easier until morning hit. When the sun rose, exhaustion settled in. My stomach turned, and I couldn’t get food down for the rest of the event. Falling behind on fueling overnight created a domino effect. Plans inevitably fail, especially in endurance events. But it’s how you recover from it that matters.

Racing the Mountain and Myself

At some point, it stopped being a 24-hour race with the clock and It became a race against every weak thought that was brewing in my head.

I was told that the last six laps were really the most grueling, and they didn’t lie! But I came here for a reason: to finish, to earn the title of youngest IronHike finisher, and to prove that no matter what odds you believe are against you, there’s always a way through.

On my final lap, wearing my orange Finisher's hat on the 23rd hour, looking over the mountain, I took one final moment to breathe in the dewy mountain air at the top of the summit, and to ground myself in gratitude.

This event broke me down but surely rebuilt me twice as resilient.

If You’re Thinking About Signing Up…

Do it!!

Register Now!

Holding yourself accountable to a training schedule, and keeping promises to yourself, is how you build a stronger relationship with your mind and body. Most importantly, you’ll have a lot of fun doing it!

I hope my story gave you a glimpse into what it feels like to be on that mountain hour after hour, and maybe even inspired you to chase something that scares you a little.

Just a reminder, You absolutely have the potential to achieve great success no matter what age you are.

I rarely say “no” to a new experience. As a cancer survivor which resulted in the amputation of my right leg above the knee I adopted the mentality of living life without limitations and that every obstacle is an opportunity. Since becoming an amputee at the age of 15, I have spent the last 32 years crushing goals, getting my ass kicked and embracing the suck. In October of 2024, Ironhike was another obstacle or should I say opportunity that I embraced because it fell in line with who I am.

For the past 32 years, I have uncomfortably listened to people tell me I am an inspiration for becoming a dedicated athlete after my amputation. It started with returning to high school sports such as swimming and lacrosse. Then I pursued the passion of alpine ski racing which resulted in being a member of the U.S. Adaptive Alpine Ski Team from 1997-2002 and represented our country in two Paralympics (98 Nagano, Japan and 02 Salt Lake City, Utah).

After a few years of laying low and raising my family I returned to endurance events in 2011. I found myself “inspiring” others as I became the first above knee amputee to ever complete 50 miles at World's Toughest Mudder, climbing a 20,000’ volcano in Ecuador for an organization that help provide prosthetics to amputees in 3rd world countries, completing several of our countries hardest day hikes such as the iconic rim to rim to rim (R2R2R) at the Grand Canyon and most recently my completion of the Double Kuwohi challenge at IronHike. My goal isn’t to be an inspiration, just a kick ass person that is seen as an athlete first and then maybe also notice I’m kicking it on one leg, but I do find motivation in knowing that I have that influence on others.

As for IronHike, it was what I considered a perfect opportunity! It provided a beautiful venue, well organized and all the opportunities I needed to make it a perfect suck! You quickly realize you are being invited into a community that is welcoming, encouraging and filled with amazing stories by amazing humans. The event was kicked off by a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that would compete with the Super Bowl. Soon after we all began our march up and down the ski slope at our own individual paces. Depending on your event, physical capabilities and current motivation you could easily find another IronHiker at your same pace if you were alone and wanted the company. Personally, I enjoy the “me time” but found fun ways to interact with other hikers as we would cross paths with each other 2-3 times every hour.

What I found very impressive was the group of volunteers that hung out in the pit area and made sure every IronHiker received a good cheer at the completion of every lap. I always felt supported and surrounded by positive people who wanted nothing more than to make your IronHike experience the best it could be. To anyone who is considering doing this event but doesn't have anyone to share the experience with, I can guarantee you can show up alone but you’ll never feel alone. I packed up my belongings around 2 AM in the morning and said goodbye to the volunteers who continued to sit around the fire and share positive vibes with all the athletes who were pushing through the night. I can’t say enough about how welcomed and supported I felt from the moment I arrived to my early morning departure. If I didn’t have other commitments I would have enjoyed greatly hanging around with the company. If you are thinking about doing an IronHike, stop thinking and start living, just do it! You won’t regret the opportunity, challenge and personal growth the event provides.

This last October I completed the Everest challenge with Iron hike on Mohawk mountain. An event I signed up for as my “next big thing”. I’m a bodybuilder and my goal was to get on stage again in 2024. I wanted a challenge in front of me after the stage. It’s funny how life works out sometimes.

Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the stage as planned. However, I do believe all the training, I thought was for the stage, was actually to prepare for some really tough things ahead of me. From the first contact with John from Ironhike, I felt welcomed, wanted and encouraged in the challenge of a 72 hour event. Connecting through social media, I felt like I had gained a family member. From the moment I got to the mountain, and met 2 of the founders, I realized I had indeed gained a whole new family, or as John would say, Tribe.

Just over a month before the event my dad died unexpectedly. It was a very broken relationship, but something I thought I’d resolve before he took his last breath. I didn’t get that opportunity and when I got to the mountain, having failed a bodybuilding prep season and losing my dad, I was pretty broken. Broken, but UNSTOPPABLE and absolutely determined to conquer this mountain in front of me. What I didn’t know about this challenge, was that I was going to be supported, loved, hugged, fed, cared for and encouraged beyond what I thought was possible. My dear friend Vicki came as my support crew, and she was amazing! The Ironhike staff, was over the top. They go above and beyond to make sure everyone has what they need. This isn’t just food, headlamps, electrolytes. It’s hugs, support, encouragement.

My first night on the mountain, in the quietness of the darkness, grief overcame me. At the bottom, I dropped my chip in the bucket, tapped the bell, sobbing, Cliff, one of the amazing staff members, was there, to hear me share about my dad, to hug me through it, and to get me back on the mountain, to finish what I’d started. Ironhike isn’t like any other endurance event out there, it’s a tribe, of amazing humans, helping each other conquer whatever mountains are ahead of them.

Finishing IronHike is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. Many of the athletes I was honored to share the mountain with have become dear friends. We all had different goals, distances, time on the mountain, but together, we were a force, determined to complete what was before us and encourage each other in every literal step.

I’ll be back on the mountain in June and I encourage anyone, to sign up for this life changing event.

When I was diagnosed at 16 years old with Type 1 Diabetes I didn’t really understand how much of my life from that point forward was going to change and how many decisions I’d have to make. Did you know the average Type 1 Diabetic makes 180 more health decisions a day compared to a person not living with T1D? Decisions that need to be made to just stay alive. In the beginning I did just that, made decisions to just stay alive. I didn’t think much further into it since ya know, young and dumb. As I got a little older and got the hang of my diagnosis (for the most part) I realized that while I was making hundreds of decisions a day to control my diagnosis the way I made those decisions were really going to direct the direction my life. I’d either just get by in life and probably accumulate other complications and live my life controlled by my disease or I could strive to be in control of my disease and live a super active and exciting life the way I wanted too.

So I made a new decision and I decided one day to sign up for the American Diabetes Association Tour De Cure, a cycling event put on annually to raise awareness for people living with diabetes. I wanted to push myself in a way I’d never done before. So I rode my first cycling event! 35 miles and completed it solo! I was so pumped that I did that, that my body did that!

This is where I began chasing more ways to challenge myself. In the following years I completed 6 Tough Mudders, 1 Spartan race, bumped the mileage for the Tour de Cure from 35 miles to 64 then 100! Now I’ve done the Tour De Cure Century about 7/10 times! The chase didn’t stop there, I kept pushing my mental and physical boundaries and have in more recent years participated in an Everesting event in Utah where you climb up 13x to reach the height of Mt Everest in total vert feet, I climbed 5 14ers in Colorado in 7 days, I attempted to summit Mt Whitney twice and ran my first ultra endurance events! This past October 2024 I attempted IronHikes Everesting event and ultimately let my mind win and of course I now have to go back and do it again!

I’d like to say IronHike found me since in 2023 after my first everesting event I came upon the Iron Hike page and I was immediately interested. I loved the simplicity of it. Climb up, climb down and repeat! It sounds so simple but the difficulty lies within yourself. To me, nothing is a better challenge than trying to beat your mental demons. This Everesting event is much more difficult than the other Everesting events since there’s no gondola to take back to the mountain base.

The past year I’ve been working on my mental grit (as well as my physical conditioning). Iron hike is the ultimate challenge. I have to battle my mental demons that constantly make me forget my “why”, my diabetes control - I really don’t want any rollercoaster-ing on the mountain and my physical needs. It’s the ultimate trifecta for me. I’ve been told so many times that I’m being too crazy or living too dangerous because of my diabetes and that I should do normal exercises and just go to classes. I think Type 1 diabetes has been a blessing and has made me chase bigger goals. It has pushed me to work hard and opened my mind up to what I can do and not what Ai can’t do. It has made me a better person. I am looking forward to coming back to IronHike and learning some more about myself and seeing if I can knock 1 more personal challenge of my belt!

I just completed the June 2024 event a few days ago and I wanted to articulate my experience with IronHike as it was such a uniquely positive experience.

Although I have a lot of experience participating in various endurance events I noticed early Saturday morning before the event began that this event was different. There was a strong sense of “we” that was evident. Prior to the “Hikers Away” I had already developed bonds with multiple participants. All of them doing various distances. From 3 laps as part of the Clingmans Dome 4-person flex relay to 122 laps attempting the Olympus Mons challenge. The beauty of this event is there was a place for all of them. The sense of “we” I mention earlier was demonstrated every time up the mountain. There was constant support and encouragement from and for everyone participating.

My own experience was so interesting and diverse as it began for the first 1/2 days as constant excitement and achievement as I not only completed laps l, but also cheered on other participants, whose names I can still remember shouting and then having the best 15 seconds of passing conversation as I could muster up while ascending or descending. Names like Meagan who loved Vermont. People I may never meet again but for a brief period of time we were proverbial best friends.

The excitement of the day quieted as many of the participants completed their goals and the number on the mountain dwindled. How peaceful it was for an hour or so being on the mountain at 1am with no distractions, just my thoughts and the silence, and then how exciting it was to see Scott or Ester back on the mountain after they had taken a quick nap.

At about 4am I took my own brief nap. The best 3 hours of sleep a guy can get after 18 hours on the run. I was woken up by the celebration of Ester finishing her event, and while I was tired I felt a sense of happiness come over me as I knew how she had been flying down the mountain every lap and I was very happy for her that she had achieved her goal. After a quick cup of coffee and a bite of oatmeal I was back on the mountain doing my final 14 laps. After a few hours it was just myself and Scott (Olympus Mons attempt) going up and down. The day came and went. In true IronHike spirit, Scott offered to do my last lap with me, and I gladly accepted. I completed my last lap at about 6:30pm on Sunday. A very happy and tired man I was. The best part of finishing was the cookie from Divi Tree. So when people ask if you want a medal or a cookie, tell them you want the cookie!

After that I loaded up the car and made my way home, but IronHike was not over and my newest friend Scott was still on the course. IronHike was complete two days later when I received a text that Scott had finished his Olympus Mons attempt after 60 hours and just under 2 minutes. I was so happy he was successful. No one had ever done that before. So that wraps it up.

See you on the mountain (in October).

Fall 2022, scrolling the gram and I am immediately sucked into a video about hiking Everest. I had been hiking quite a bit up in the Adirondacks in my free time and was immediately hooked. I followed the page and did the research. Que sign up day, 3 computers open ready to click that buy button on a $5000+ charge to my poor little credit card. Welp I got in! Stratton Mountain VT October 2023. The year came and went, I trained, mentally prepared and showed up that weekend ready to battle the mountain and myself.

Jump to 6am Friday morning, 17 laps up, 17 COLD gondola rides down and about 19 and a half hours of POURING rain....21 Hours later I am successful red hat owner, the feeling was incredible.

Sunday evening sitting in my Air BnB and I'm kinda sad. Yea I am proud of myself, that was a cool thing to complete but I cant help but think, what now? What is next? How do you top Everest?

This is where Ironhike and the amazing founders come in. Again scrolling the gram and I keep seeing a new challenge. Everest, the hard way, up AND down. And not to mention they have gone one further and developed Olympus Mons the highest summit in the galaxy. Now that is something just crazy enough that I need to be apart of it. So I signed up, no frilly hotels or glamping tents, no gondola rides, and no huge price tag. Just you, the mountain, and your new tribe.

October came fast, I trained and tried to mentally wrap my head around 122 laps over 72,000 feet of elevation. My husband and I travelled from central New York towing our tiny teardrop trailer. We arrived on Saturday morning to the mountain and I gathered my packet with all the other athletes. Everyone was smiling and the energy was buzzing, all those pre race jitters were really starting to come out.

As start time approached we all moved to the starting line the founders had a few words, there were tips from past participants, the anthem, and then it was "hikers away" and my 84 hours began. The mountain terrain was great, slow to start which meant time to make friends then a final steep push to the summit and finally the trek back down to catch my breath and meet more of the people I would be spending 3 days with. And so the day went up and down, snacks and hugs in between. This was now my world for the next 80+ hours.

Quickly I began to realize what a challenge I had taken on. Don't let the shorter distance per lap fool you it is still an effort every lap and I quickly learned why they said "Everest, the hard way." I soon fell off my pace and by early Saturday morning I realized that I would not be making Olympus Mons. I was so disappointed in myself, I let myself down and was so frustrated. I started to get into my own head, crushed that I had already failed not 36 hours in, but I kept moving. I kept talking to other hikers, kept making friends, kept getting "you got this" and "keep goings" so I did. I kept moving one foot in front of the other.

I remember in the dark of my trailer one night at one of my lower points my husband turning to me and saying "I know you cant see the end, but can you see your next step? then just take that." Around 11am Monday Morning I grabbed my orange hat and hiked up one more lap, 49 for Everest within the 72 hour time limit. I came back down and there was Scott with a cookie and a hug. Again I had this incredible feeling of accomplishment, no I did not make Olympus Mons, but I did Everest, again. And this time I had a new family there with me the whole way, through the highs and lows. People who started as strangers checking in on me and my progress, words of encouragement, offers for a run to the store for burgers or breakfast sandwiches, the all night campfire that was a beacon of hope after the sun went down and the laps got colder and colder, and Cliff strumming the guitar and keeping a smile on everyone's face.

I sat down next to the fire cookie and breakfast sandwich in hand and watched my new tribe continue to hike. As I was sitting and enjoying my moment and the first real food I had managed to keep down in 3 days I thought, I am not done.

I grabbed my poles and started back up the mountain, one of the staff who had been following my progress that whole time yelled "arn't you done?" and I just said "I have friends to hike with". I finished out 12 more laps with my new tribe, not because I had to, I had the hat, the medal, the cookie. But because I wanted to. I wanted to hike with these men and women and be there for them in the last laps the way they were there for me. This tribe had become my tribe and I wanted to be there for every second.

I hate the cliche like of this was life changing , but truly this weekend and this challenge taught me so much about myself, my limits, my strengths, and my weaknesses. But most of all it gave me a new tribe and lifelong memories.

I will be back, Olympus Mons is now an obsession and I cant wait to get back out there with my type of people and crush Mohawk Mountain!

The Olympus Mons Ultra is not just an event; it is a four-day, three-night descent into the crucible of ultra-endurance. Inspired by the highest planetary mountain in our Solar System, Mars’ colossal peak, this "Beyond-Everesting-Challenge" demands 122 laps, 0 flat miles, 152.5 miles of total distance, and a staggering 72,590 feet of elevation gain and loss within an 84-hour window. Before my successful attempt, only two Mountain Athletes had ever earned the coveted finisher status. This is my story as the third IronHike Mountain Athlete to stand atop that signature summit, both figuratively and spiritually.

I will keep this short and not use too much of your precious time. You most likely have read a lot about how awesome IronHike's culture is and how supportive they are. Let me tell you what they are not talking about; this is one of the best events I have done.

The sheer magnitude of the challenge is matched only by the spirit of the tribe. The Mountain Athletes that come out to push themselves are amazing and friendly. Some of them even let me tag along for a lap, even though I had not showered in a few days and probably saw things that were not there. I have completed hundreds of events, from 5ks and 100 milers to 24-hour obstacle course races and multi-day events. I can tell you definitively that IronHike is one of the hardest and most rewarding events out of them all.

This mountain broke me down and built me back up. I faced the ultimate summit twice, battling the relentless vertical: I have two attempts and one finish at Olympus Mons. When I finally crossed that final line, completing the vertical journey to Mars, the exhaustion was absolute, but the feeling was cosmic. When I finished, I felt invincible, but humbled and full of gratitude. Thank you, IronHike Mountain Athletes and IronHike Team, for helping me complete Olympus Mons.

Would you like to experience what it feels like to climb Mount Everest from sea level -- all 29,032 feet of it?

Or how about Denali in Alaska, the highest peak in North America? That's about 20,300 feet.

Heck, why not shoot for the moon, or in this case Mars, by climbing the mysterious Olympus Mons, aka Mount Olympus, the tallest mountain in our solar system at more than 72,000 feet. That's 13.6 miles -- a full 2½ times higher than Everest's 5.5-mile elevation.

If you've got the stamina, you can try your hand (and feet) at attempting just such a challenge this weekend at Mohawk Mountain Ski Area in Cornwall.

Starting Saturday at 10 a.m., 29 people will start scaling the ski slopes in a unique event called IronHike. They've already chosen the goal they hope to accomplish: climbing the equivalent of several different mountains, from Clingmans Dome (at 6,644 feet the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, on the North Carolina/Tennessee border) to the ultimate challenge, that former volcano on Mars, Olympus Mons.

It's not a race to the top and back. There are no records to break. And there are no age-group awards handed out on a podium afterward. The challenge is between the individual athlete and his or her personal limits of endurance.

“We built IronHike to give people of any fitness level, of any skill set the opportunity to push themselves beyond what they're used to...” said John Kolker, 61, an A.T. end-to-ender and Army veteran who is the founder of the event.

”We accommodate the average, mediocre, exercise-a-little-bit-here-and-there person with a relay of a 15-mile event, so they basically do a 5K each up and down the mountain.”

To accomplish the goal of, say, climbing Clingmans Dome on the A.T., a participant (or a team) would have to go up and down Mohawk Mountain 12 times, covering a hiking distance of 15 miles and an elevation gain and loss of 7,140 feet. It probably means trekking after sunset, since the estimated time for completion is 12 hours. No problem: through arrangements with the owners of Mohawk Mountain Ski Area, the athletes are allowed to camp right alongside the trail or in the tent city that will be set up at the base. (It's BYOT: bring your own tent.)

There are different registration levels available -- from individual participation to having a partner or bringing a whole team of hikers -- and each level has a different entry fee. The individual level ranges from $400 to $1,200, depending on which “mountain” you want to climb -- in other words, how many laps you want to do. At the higher end of the scale, the trail team option ranges from $1,024 to $3,072.

Kolker noted that while the fees may seem high, they are small in comparison to other similar events, some of which charge an individual close to $6,000, with an overnight sleeping accommodation adding another $2,000.

“We went a different route because we're more of a grassroots organization,” he said.

Included in the fee is one meal per athlete each day on the mountain, a support station with shade, hydration and snacks, tenting privileges, summit tokens, hats and medals for the finishers and a personalized event bib. There will also be ski patrol-type medical assistance available 24/7 over the course of the event.

So far only one person has signed up for the biggest challenge -- Olympus Mons. It's the most elevation gain anywhere in other similar endurance events around the country, Kolker said. It will take about 3½ days, or 84 hours, to accomplish. By the end, if successful, the participant will have logged an elevation gain and loss of 72,590 feet, covering the equivalent of 152.5 miles. In short, it means going up and down the 1,600-foot-high Mohawk Mountain 122 times.

Scott Festa of Fayetteville, N.C., attempted the Olympus challenge at the first IronHike event last fall, but five days of rain leading up to it turned his feet to mush and he had to stop. For this weekend, he has made some adjustments to his gear and believes he is good to go. Also, the forecast this weekend is excellent.

Festa thru-hiked the A.T. during the pandemic and was one of the fastest finishers the year he hiked, even though he didn't set out to break any records. At 5'7” he does not have a long stride; he just goes at his own pace and hikes all day until he's ready to retire for the night, he said. Also an Army veteran, Festa was in special forces and served as a medic, said Kolker, who called Festa the Clark Kent of endurance hiking.

Kolker himself is something of a marathon man. An Army veteran, he suffered sudden cardiac arrest in 2011 but made a full recovery, vowing to improve his health by tackling extreme endurance events all around the country.

After 15 triathlons, his four-year section hike of the A.T. (his trail name, “Ironheart,” is a testament to his recover) and end-to-end hikes on other long- distance trails, the Pennsylvania native went to sign up for a dayslong elevation-based endurance event, only to discover that it would cost him at least $7,000. That's when his fellow hikers and Army buddies suggested he start his own event at a much more grassroots level -- aka, much cheaper -- and that is how IronHike was born.

”What's nice about this is everybody's on the same course at the same venue and right now starting at the same time of 10 a.m. on Saturday,” he said. “It's an all-inclusive, totally controlled, relatively safe venue where people get an opportunity to just focus on pushing themselves beyond their usual limits, wherever those limits are.

”You get to choose your summit, and you get to choose something you're accustomed to.”

It's not too late to register for this weekend's event, Kolker noted. The website, ironhike.com, is chock full of information, motivational messages, photos, testimonials and other background information.

If you already have plans this weekend or need to get in shape, IronHike will return to the Cornwall ski area in the fall, from Oct. 5-8, the weekend before Columbus Day.

Features editor Bill O'Brien is himself a two-time A.T. thru-hiker but has since “retired” from endurance events and is now just a weekend warrior.

Why not Everesting? Ever since I started lifting weights to augment my development in the sports of football and wrestling at age 12, I realized that people have been challenging themselves and others through the creation of hard events since the dawn of time. The challenge I gave myself came about after I was dragged along on a hiking trip as a child and I did not perform on the mountain the way I thought I would. Just two years later, I was going straight up mountain sides, and three years later I'd become a 4 year Varsity starter on my football team and it would take me to the Division 1 level in College Football as well. So, the challenges were met, accomplished, and the outcome was extraordinary.

So Why Everest? Well, ever since hearing of a man, who found a way to not only measure his mettle by comparing the elevation gain of a bicycle ride that equals the elevation gain of his grandfather who disappeared on the actual mountain in 1924, why wouldn't you try it? There is a type of person who determines that they will challenge themselves, to see what they can accomplish. Some do it to measure their abilities. A lot of times people who do these types of challenges find they perform way better than they thought they would or could. As was my case when I was just 12 years old and then when I got to 18, I thought I was invincible. I doubled down on the tasks and made major accomplishments in my life. I was brimming with confidence. I knew I was capable of so much more based on my challenging myself through the physical challenges I took on. And it proved to be so helpful to silently explain to me that the sky literally was the limit. So, when it comes to Everesting... Why Not?

The phenomenon of Everesting on a bicycle, while really cool, does has its limitations when it comes to someone who doesn't cycle. So, as a hiker, I would want to hike it; slog it, jog it, run it, but I'm not a cyclist as much as I am a hiker and also an expert at rucking/road marching and sprinting. So, when it comes to a challenge like hiking, and doing it in your country instead of Nepal, Tennessee, Alaska, or Mars, then I'd pick a challenge like IronHike to test my mettle! You can get outside in the mountain air, but have plenty of oxygen in a social environment where you can test yourself! You can prove it to yourself! If you've already proven yourself in other ways, then you can further test and enjoy yourself! These types of events are put together by those who know they would benefit and enjoy these events and know there are plenty of people just like us, trying to find great events like this in order to congregate, and find their tribe where they can relate and experience it! Just like I started doing it 34 years ago.

December 17, 2011

On December 17, 2011, I died. I was 49 years old when a heart attack stopped my heart. Volunteers trained in CPR, with an AED, brought me back right there. I spent three uncertain days in an induced coma, then woke up to stents in two blocked coronary arteries.

I shouldn't have been surprised. I was an Army veteran who had smoked for 31 years, had been overweight since leaving active duty in the 90s, and never went to the doctor for a checkup. My lifestyle had killed me.

A Second Chance

In the first months I could barely walk from the bed to the kitchen. Researching my recovery, I kept finding stories of other survivors who had become Ironheart Foundation athletes. I told my family I would not go on disability. I was going back to work, and I was going to become a triathlete.

So I quit smoking. I got into the pool, then onto the bike, then onto the track. I lost more than 56 pounds. In 2013 I met Ironheart founder David Watkins, joined that survivor community, and later served as the foundation's Chief Development Officer. Along the way I finished 15 triathlons and rode more than 50 miles across the entire state of New Jersey.

Ironheart on the Appalachian Trail

Then came the trail. Under the trail name Ironheart, a name inspired by that foundation, I section-hiked the full Appalachian Trail to raise awareness for heart health and for the Ironheart Foundation: 2,193 miles from Georgia to Maine. I finished on August 23, 2021, after the hardest 165 miles north of Mount Washington in three weeks. It took me four years, but I came off that trail different, better and done.

“I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.” G.M. Trevelyan said it, and the trail proved it. Since then I have hiked the New England Trail end to end and walked the Camino de Santiago through Portugal and Spain.

The Idea

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2022, my endurance-junkie friends and I were planning our annual “Giddyup Calendar.” Then I found an Everesting event on a ski slope: hike up as many times as it takes to match the height of Everest. We loved it. It was out of reach on price, and it sold out before we could even ask our spouses. I joked that we should start our own. My buddy Dan joked back. We left it there. I didn't.

We came up with four Events named for four iconic Mountains and called it the IronHike Endurance Event Series. In early February 2023 we started hunting for a ski area, with no business card, no LLC and no website. Thirty phone calls, fifty emails and nine site visits later, we met Dan at Mohawk Mountain, where Dan's family has managed the Mountain's operations for generations. Dan liked the idea. We hiked it, we shook hands, and IronHike Endurance Productions was born.

Then IronHike grew. The Tribe went from Mountain Athletes in 23 states and 2 countries in our second season to 30 states and 3 countries today, and one Mountain was no longer enough. In 2026 we expanded to a second venue: Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia, home to Georgia's highest waterfall and the official southern gateway to the Appalachian Trail. That added a third Series and a whole new kind of Event on the 604 stairs of the AT Approach Trail, every one of them earned up and paid back down. Two venues, three Series, and we are entering our fourth season. For me it also closes a circle: the trail that gave me my second life now starts at our newest venue.

Why IronHike Exists

Every Event exists for the same reason I am still here: a second chance is a gift, and what you do with it is up to you. With my co-founding veteran buddies, we built IronHike for ordinary people and elite trail athletes alike, everyone who wants to prove themselves right about themselves, and change the story they tell themselves in their own heads.

Choose harder. Choose your summit. See you on the Mountain.

John “Ironheart” Kolker