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May 8, 2025 58 mins
Alexandra Garcia’s journey into the outdoors began in adulthood, after relocating from Puerto Rico to Virginia, USA. What started as a personal reconnection with nature quickly turned into a deep passion for endurance challenges that test both body and mind. 
 
Since climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2017 and completing the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim in 2018, Alex has pursued adventures that push her limits — including backpacking rugged trails in Puerto Rico and continuously seeking what she calls “difficult pursuits.”
 
Now based in Western North Carolina near Pisgah National Forest, Alex is not only an outdoor athlete and writer but also a changemaker. She co-founded the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation to increase accessibility and gender equity in mountain sports, helping women and girls around the world reach new heights — literally.
 
In 2025, Alex will travel to France to climb Mt. Blanc, and she’s also training for a Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempt on a challenging trail route. 
 
Whether she’s writing, running, or leading with purpose, Alexandra is passionate about personal growth, emotional resilience, and helping others find the courage to take on their own version of hard.
 
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Show notes
  • Who is Alex
  • Growing up in Porto Ricco - a small island in the Caribbean 
  • Her childhood and early years 
  • Spending time in nature from a young age
  • Living in Western Northern Carolina, USA
  • Spending time around the ocean 
  • Swimming and respecting the water
  • Her parents farm 
  • Hiking with her family
  • 2017 and deciding to climb Mt Kilimanjaro
  • Looking for the next thing to work towards
  • Pushing herself to achieve
  • Difficult pursuits of the year
  • Training physically and mentally for the challenge
  • 2018 and doing the Grand Canyon - Rim to Rim Challenge 
  • Keeping herself learning and engaged and wanting the challenges to be fun 
  • Running….
  • Learning as she goes
  • The importance of training
  • Planning Approach
  • Thinking of her own ideas for Difficult Pursuits
  • Focusing on challenges in Porto Ricco 
  • 35 miles - Backpacking trail in Porto Ricco
  • The power of visualisation
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