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2015 Chicago Marathon. Mile 13. I’m flying—feeling like I could run forever. Heart surgery, back surgery, barely able to stand a decade before, and here I am crushing it. Then I see the sign: NOT ALMOST THERE.
Everything changed. Heavy legs. Cramping. Mental breakdown. I barely finished what started as my best race ever.
That sign broke me, but it also built me. Southside Chicago kid who studied for 15 seconds between building cars on the assembly line. Graduated in 5 years. Built companies. Sold two. 800 employees. Young father at 20 who figured it out as I went.
I’ve spent 50+ episodes of Not Almost There interviewing experts, and now my cohost and I are diving deeper into the conversations that matter most. We dig into what it really takes—in business, branding, health, life. No fluff. Real talk about building something that matters while the clock’s ticking.
Whether you’re running your first mile or your hundredth company, we’re here to help you go the distance.
Because almost there isn’t good enough.
Episodes
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
Lucy Westlake is the youngest person to climb all 50 high points in the United States, she is an adventurer, explorer, endurance athlete, runner, triathlete, mountaineer, and motivational speaker; she dreams big, sets goals, and works hard to accomplish them. Lucy has been climbing mountains since she could walk. She has a deep love for the outdoors and pushes her physical and mental limits to new heights. Lucy began her high-pointing adventure, climbing to the top of every state’s highest mountain, at the age of seven when she and her family visited Black Mountain in Kentucky. Looking at the US geological survey marker on top of the mountain, Lucy and her family began to wonder where other state highpoints were located. They spent the next four hours while driving home looking up and reading about state highpoints. For the next five years, Lucy and her family traveled throughout the United States climbing each state’s highest mountain.
IN THIS EPISODE … Joe talks to Lucy Westlake about her climbing adventures. It is unusual for a young person to be so determined and focused from such a young age. Not only has Lucy accomplished hiking all high points in the US, but several difficult mountains in the world including Elbrus, in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia. She doesn’t stop with her physical goals and challenging herself, she also has a huge heart and humanitarian side. Lucy is wise beyond her years and partnered with Waterstep to make sure there is safe water for people to drink in underserved areas.
🔍 Breakdown with Lucy Westlake:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Lucy Westlake and sets up the episode.
Chapter 2 (1:07): Hiking all 50 high points
Lucy and her dad set out on a mission to climb all the highest points in the 50 states. She shares with us how they were able to do that.
Chapter 3 (2:07): Starting at a young age
At the age of 4, Lucy completed her first 5K with her family and they didn’t look back from there. As a family they traveled and began hiking.
Chapter 4 (10:54 ): Difficulties and dangers of climbing
Climbing is not something you can just decide to do and scale some of the hardest terrains. There is a lot of planning and training that surrounds a safe experience.
Chapter 5 (12:48): Techniques for climbing and running
Lucy has had breathing coaches and various trainers that have helped with her speed in running at the high school level competitively as well as on her climbs.
Chapter 6 (18:56): The complete Denali story
The first time Lucy and her father tried to scale Denali they failed. They had to turn around. They came face to face with the reality of just how dangerous this expedition was.
Chapter 7 (33:40): Lessons learned from these experiences
Lucy has learned so many life lessons along the way from training and hiking the states and mountains.
Chapter 8 (34:47): Training for climbing
There are many ways to train for an intense climb. Lucy shares what she does to get ready and the importance of breathing.
Chapter 9 (40:07): Partnership with Waterstep
WaterStep manufactures and provides products that make water safe to drink. They’re available for sale to mission teams, humanitarians, disaster relief agencies, and survivalists
Chapter 10 (54:35): What is next for Lucy
The explorer’s grand slam is Lucy’s next goal. There are only 5 women who have accomplished this goal, and the youngest is 20 years old.
Chapter 11 (1:06:16): Wrapping Up
Joe wraps up the episode with Lucy
Material Referenced in this interview:
→Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
→https://highpointers.org/
→https://www.sevensummits.com/
→5 Week Leadership Challenge by Patrick Leddin
📞 Connect with Lucy
→https://www.instagram.com/climbyourhighpoint
→https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100015661451642
→https://twitter.com/lucy_westlake
→https://lucywestlake.com/
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/
Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere/
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
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