- Jenn Drummond is on track to become the first woman to summit the "Second Seven."
- She says climbing the second-highest peak on each continent makes her appreciate
parenting moments.
In 2018 my car was hit by a semitruck. The car rolled three times before settling in the median. The first responders couldn't believe I was alive, let alone mostly uninjured.
A few weeks after that, my phone rang. A friend had been on a hike — a walk, really; you could have rolled a stroller along this path. But she slipped, hit her head on a rock, and died.
All of a sudden nothing made sense. I should have died, and my friend should not have. I have no idea why I'm here on Earth, but what I do know is that I have a choice for how I live.
That's when my life shifted. I realized I wanted to live to the fullest. In October 2020 I completed my first major hike, and now I'm attempting to become the first woman to climb the "Second Seven," the second-tallest peak on each continent. When I'm home in Utah, I'm a run-of-the-mill mom of seven, shuttling kids to school and stretching on the sidelines at their sports practice.
4 successes and a failed summit
So far I've summited four of the seven peaks on my list. On Mount Tyree in Antarctica, which I summited in January, I realized that if I had been born when my grandmother or even my mom was born, I never would have had this opportunity.
That's why I want to become the first woman to complete the Second Seven. On Mount Tyree I was the first American woman to plant a flag at the summit, but I knew there would be more after me. By striving for something new, we make the path easier for the next woman, so she can achieve something even greater.
I learn something about myself even on the excursions that fail. Last summer I was hiking K2, the second-tallest peak in Asia, which is widely thought to be a more difficult hike than Everest. A man in my party was killed in an avalanche. I helped carry him off the mountain and bury him. I didn't summit the mountain on that trip, but I summited areas of myself that I never knew I had. Now I'm preparing to attempt K2 a second time.
Women support me
When I'm climbing, I can be gone for up to four weeks at a time. My live-in nanny, Karen, keeps things running. I used to nanny for Karen when I was younger, but now she's been with my family since my oldest was born 15 years ago. My kids joke that she's the real mom and I'm the fun mom. My own mother also flies out to stay with the kids while I'm away. They love being spoiled by Grandma.
When things are going well on a hike, I'm enjoying the scenery and savoring the moment. But when things get tough, that's when I think about the kids. I'll tell myself these next 10 minutes are for Jack or Joe. I'll think about my favorite memories with that child and what I want to do with them. They truly are my strength when things go wrong.
When I get home, we always do a family trip where we can spend time together. I also book an hour of one-on-one time with each child every week. That never gets rescheduled — it's a sacred time to me. Climbing means I have less time with my children, which makes me appreciate the days when we are together.
Balancing self and family
As my sons and daughters grow and start their own families, I want them to know that you can balance your personal goals with your family goals. Before my accident I was focused solely on family, but since then I've made space for my passion. I'm happier, kinder, and more alive in all areas of my life, including parenting.
It's part of my personality to strive for outlandish goals, but I've realized many of them are possible. When you pursue something that's far outside your comfort zone, your brain doesn't even have the context to tell you it's impossible. When that happens, you can lean in and work toward something that seems downright impossible.
Follow Jenn's attempt at the Second Seven on her website or on Instagram.