Denali wasn't supposed to be the hardest mountain on her journey. But for Louise McEvoy, it became the one that kept saying no. Across twenty‑one years, two ACL repairs, multiple shutdowns, and three failed attempts, she kept coming back.

In this conversation, Louise takes us inside the patience, grit, and quiet courage it took to finish the Seven Summits — and the mistake on summit day that nearly damaged her fingers for good.

If you're pushing through something hard, your own mountain to climb — this story is for you.

What We Talk About

· Why Denali became the mountain that kept shutting the door

· The storms, injuries, and delays that stretched her Seven Summits journey to twenty‑one years.

· The training it takes to haul 125 pounds of gear up one of the coldest mountains on earth.

· The most frightening thing she witnessed on the mountain — and the adaptive athlete who reminded her what true grit looks like.

· The deeper lesson: how the toughest moments may be part of the journey to your summit.

Key Takeaway

The hard thing you're in right now might be the very thing preparing you for whatever comes next. Sometimes your version of Everest isn't a mountain — it's the long, frustrating thing that keeps refusing to happen… until one day it does.

Join the Journey

Follow the show, leave a rating, and share this episode with someone who's pushing through their own climb. Your support helps these stories reach the people who need them most.

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Chapters

00:00 Almost Losing Her Fingers on Denali
01:46 Chasing the Seven Summits
09:45 Getting Turned Around by the Mountain
16:19 Paying the Price to Climb
21:03 Following Denali's West Buttress Route
24:06 Waiting for the Weather to Break
27:40 Wrestling with the Mental Game
32:40 Training for 125 Pounds of Gear
34:31 Learning to Respect the Mountain
35:53 Finding Community on the Climb
38:37 A Woman's Perspective on the Seven Summits
43:06 The Mistake That Caused Frostnip
47:17 Finally Reaching the Summit
51:42 Fighting the Post-Expedition Blues
53:37 Was It Worth It?
55:40 Why K2 Is Still Calling
01:06:25 Gratitude in the Face of Danger
01:11:20 What 21 Years of Climbing Taught Me

Colleen Clifford spent decades fishing in Alaska, working long shifts on factory trawlers and living a life most people only see in documentaries. But beneath the rugged adventure was a wound she carried from age nineteen — a moment of shame that quietly shaped the next forty years of her life. Binge drinking became the way she buried that wound, a pattern that looked manageable from the outside but was slowly eroding her identity, her relationships, and her hope.

In this episode, Colleen traces her drinking back to the moment that changed everything, the diagnosis that created a false identity, and the years she spent trying to outrun the truth. She shares how her husband's alcohol‑related suicide forced her to confront her own story, how faith and prayer carried her through grief, and how writing her book, Life Beyond the Binge, helped her uncover the deeper narrative beneath her behavior.

This conversation is about courage — the courage to stop running, to name the wound, and to rebuild a life with honesty and purpose. It's a reminder that the real battle is often the one happening beneath the surface, and healing begins when we finally tell the truth.

What We Cover in This Episode

• How one shame-filled moment at nineteen created a false identity that shaped Colleen's life for decades

• How writing helped her uncover the deeper story beneath 40 years of binge drinking

• How grief, her husband's alcohol-related suicide, and faith shaped her healing journey

• How destructive behavior often grows out of believing a lie about who we are

• How honesty, coaching, and courage helped Colleen break free from shame and rebuild her life

Key Takeaway

Colleen's story reminds us that shame can quietly shape a life — but naming it can give that life back. Her journey encourages us to look beneath our coping habits, tell the truth about where the story began, and trust that God can rebuild what shame tried to steal.

Resources

• Colleen's Book: Life Beyond The Binge: A Commercial Fisherwoman's Journey Home
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - available 24/7/365. Your conversations are free and confidential
• Veterans and service members can access the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1.

Join the Journey

If you know someone who's carrying a hidden story or struggling with destructive habits, please share this episode with them. It might be exactly what they need to hear.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boldjourneysco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldjourneysco/

Through The Fire Newsletter: https://boldjourneys.co/subscribe/

Chapters

00:00 — The Story Beneath the Drinking

04:05 — Naming the False Identity

06:10 — Writing Through Grief

09:17 — When the Book Turned Back on Her

10:01 — The Moment That Built the Shame

11:55 — Growing Up Catholic in Seattle

15:33 — How Binge Drinking Took Hold

18:30 — Why the Shame Stayed Hidden

20:14 — Testing Death on the Skykomish

23:41 — The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

30:34 — Freedom Through Honesty

31:31 — When Identity Turns Into a Lie

34:05 — Running to Alaska

38:28 — Life and Work on the Factory Trawlers

48:24 — The "95/5" Drinking Pattern

50:35 — Losing Her Husband and Carryi

Try to imagine sitting across from your doctor with stomach pains and hearing the words, "You've got stage 4 cancer and less than a year to live."

Episode 26 features Gary Young, a cancer survivor whose story is difficult, honest, and anchored in faith. Gary grew up on a Michigan farm where hard work and resilience were part of everyday life. Those early lessons became essential when he was diagnosed with stage‑four abdominal cancer. His journey shows what it looks like to face a life‑changing diagnosis with community support, clear purpose, and trust in God.

What We Cover in This Episode

• How Gary leaned on friends, church members, and mentors during the hardest season of his life
• The door God opened through HIPEC and how that operation changed Gary's hope for survival
• The role faith played in helping him stay steady through diagnosis, surgery, and recovery
• The impact Gary's faith had on the people around him, including his surgeon
• How cancer clarified Gary's purpose and led him to become a Beacon of Hope for others

Key Takeaway

Gary's story is a reminder that faith, community, and purpose matter most when life becomes difficult. His journey encourages us to invest in the people around us, stay rooted in our faith, and pay attention to the ways God may be shaping our next chapter.

Join the Journey

If you know someone who's facing a difficult season, please share this episode with them. It might be exactly what they need to hear.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boldjourneysco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldjourneysco/

Through The Fire Newsletter: https://boldjourneys.co/subscribe/

Chapters

00:00 — Finding Peace Before Surgery

02:52 — The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

06:29 — Searching for a Treatment That Could Help

10:33 — When a Doctor Becomes a Friend

12:26 — Where Faith Took Root

20:01 — How Community Carried the Weight

29:04 — Hope That Doesn't Stay Still

38:05 — Learning to Trust God Daily

40:08 — Staying Steady in Work and Life

41:34 — How Calling Comes Into Focus

43:34 — Faith That Shows Up at Work

49:19 — Building Made for More

55:01 — Facing New Trials After Cancer

01:01:41 — Practices That Strengthen Hope

01:08:56 — Final Encouragement for the Journey