Okay so spring has finally sprung here in New England and I am finally crawling out from under my rock. I have been in the world’s biggest funk since the beginning of the new year. I have felt lost and tossed and so hurt by the events out of my control yet forcing me to change my course dramatically.
Mother Nature supplied me with the perfect excuse for my departure from Alaska and my quest to train for the Iditarod; lack of snow. I saw race after qualifying race cancelled due to the lack of significant snow fall. This was difficult and waiting around for weeks and months was not possible. Not because I was growing impatient but because Teva decided not to renew my sponsorship.
Teva was pivotal to the past thirteen years of incredible adventure, and I have loved meeting so many with MS who’s lives I so hope I was able to touch as they did mine. Teva made a great drug to manage my MS for fifteen years. Yes, it was a great ride. But the times they are a changin’ and so we bid adieu.
Watch for news on my sponsors, upcoming speaking engagements, book events and much more…life if full! I’m still planning some exciting future adventures and would love to hear ideas from all of you on places to go, people to see and potential sponsors or partners for my mission.
Today I spent the day in one of my most favorite places in the whole wide world, The Donald McKay Elementary School in East Boston. My seventh year, my seventh class of wonderful fourth graders. We are preparing for our annual climb of Mt. Monadnock in a few short weeks.
But today was even better. The class planted a garden.
Yup, spring has indeed come and with it the excitement and anticipation of the adventures ahead.
Stay tuned and remember…
Come explore with me!
Wendy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WENDY BOOKER IS CRUISING AT A NEW ALTITUDE
Mountain climber and adventurer, Wendy Booker, announces the release of her first book: New Altitude
April 1, 2013: Wendy Booker, a climber, explorer and musher from Massachusetts, is embarking on a new adventure… and no parkas, skis or ropes are involved! New Altitude, her first book, has just been released and she is kicking off a spring promotional tour to share her story with the world.
New Altitude chronicles Wendy Booker’s bid for the Seven Summits. But mountains aren’t the only obstacles she had to tackle, and this is not your typical adventure saga. New Altitude takes readers far beyond the mountains into the mind and heart of a woman facing challenging circumstances, leveraging her amazing story to share life lessons about the power of self-discovery, serendipity and stubbornness.
After a devastating diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, Wendy fell haphazardly into running the Boston Marathon for charity. From that one simple act, an extraordinary series of circumstances unfolds that is nothing short of kismet. Overcoming illness and divorce, and tackling one of the toughest mountains in the world twice, Wendy finds herself atop Denali (Mt. McKinley, Alaska) in 2004 at the age of 50, forcing the reinvention of her entire life in the process.
Standing on the pinnacle of the North American continent, she aspires to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents… the famed Seven Summits. It is a mission that will eclipse everything in else in her life for many years.
New Altitude follows Wendy’s inspiring, poignant, and sometimes hilarious adventures as she seeks to conquer the mountains on her list with the intimidating specter of Mt. Everest looming on the horizon, and discovers a whole new world along the way. Along with tales of adventure, readers are allowed a rare window into the internal struggle and ongoing adaption that is required to make extreme sports a lifestyle.
Dave Hahn, the mountain guide on Wendy’s second Everest expedition, has attained the most Everest summits of any non-Sherpa. Commenting on Wendy’s adventures in New Altitude, he recently said, “Climbing high mountains is difficult – plenty difficult for those lucky enough to pursue it with youth, perfect health and all the normal advantages on their side. And pretty near impossible for those not so gifted or fortunate. Near impossible… but not actually impossible as it turns out! Wendy Booker’s story of learning the ropes while battling MS should spur on anyone tempted to simply accept their conventionally defined limitations.”
When asked about her upcoming appearances and book signings Wendy said, “I am so looking forward to sharing this book with long-time followers and new audiences alike. It has been a labor of love to write. My hope is that New Altitude gives fans an inside look at my life, introduces new people to my story, and encourages everyone to approach obstacles in a whole new way.”
Boston radio personality and long-time friend, Gay Vernon, perhaps summed up New Altitude best, “After a diagnosis of MS, Wendy decided to leave her comfort zone and accomplish something that most of us can only imagine. She literally (and symbolically) has climbed the tallest peaks in the world. And in scaling those mountains, she’s inspired others to discover what the joy of living is all about.”
For more information on Wendy Booker, to order your copy of New Altitude, or to invite Wendy to speak to your organization or host an author event, visit www.wendybooker.net. New Altitude is available in print and e-book format from online retailers or at your favorite bookstore.
About the Author
Diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 1998, Wendy Booker was never an athlete. But over the past decade she has run ten marathons, climbed six of the Seven Summits, attempted Everest twice, mushed to the North Pole and skied to the South Pole – setting records and breaking through barriers all the way. Always on the lookout for her next great adventure, she is training with a team of sled dogs in Alaska to race in the Iditarod in 2015. Wendy lives in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts and is the mother of three grown sons and a yellow lab named Cada. New Altitude is her first book.
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If you would like more information about Wendy Booker, or to schedule an interview or appearance, please contact:
Trish Thomas
720.224.4923 │ trish@wendybooker.net
www.wendybooker.net
Jane Knows had a great post on the 2013 WILD (Women Inspiring Leadership Development) Summit where Wendy shared her inspiring story with 400 Colorado business women and college students! “Redefine “the top” and do it without regret. Wendy Booker became an accomplished athlete after being diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis. More…
I know that many of you are curious about my Iditarod training. It’s been a whirlwind season and my plans have had to change along with the ever-shifting Alaska weather! This year has seen a lack of snow in many areas, so races have been cancelled or rescheduled wreaking havoc More…
I am asking that myself. Since leaving “The Gulch” on Oct. 12 I seem to have been all over the place. If I had a GPS tracker affixed to me I would have made quite the pattern up and down east and west coast. Not exactly how I like to More…
Here are photos from Wendy’s 9/22/2012 keynote address. It was held at the Omni in Broomfield, Colorado and was the annual Awards Program at Transamerica’s Fall Conference. The Awards included ORBA Financial and Carillon Financial Network. Wendy’s Q&A was cut short by a fire alarm and temporary evacuation of the More…
Well, well….I’m back in ‘The Gulch.’ You probably figured out something was different when I went ‘dark’ and the blogs abruptly stopped. Sorry, life in the lower 48 is a whirlwind of cities and appearances and fine dining establishments. I felt like Dorothy yet again, red shoes and all tumbling More…
Here’s a peek inside my little “round house.”
Sitting in my luxurious suite at the Intercontinental Hotel on the ‘Miracle Mile’ in Chicago awaiting room service. I left Anchorage at 11:15 pm last night, all the flights in and out of Alaska are between 11 pm and 1 am. Hell on the sleep wake cycle. Arrived around 9 More…
