Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Our spring member drive has ended, but it's not too late to give. You have the power to help fund the essential journalism that keeps us all informed. Help us close the gap on our spring fundraising goal! GIVE NOW

"Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro" on Tuesday's Access Utah

Kara Richardson Whitely knew she could reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. She had done it once before. But she failed in a second attempt, struggled with food addiction and looked for ways to cope with feelings of failure and shame. Her weight shot to more than 300 pounds. Deep in her personal gorge, Whitely decided the only way out was up. She resolved to climb the mountain again-and this time, she would reach the summit. And she would do it without waiting for her plus-sized status to disappear. "Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds" is the story of her ascent from the depths of self-doubt to the top of the world.

    

Kara Richardson Whitely and is coming to Utah for an event at REI Salt Lake City on Thursday, May 14th  from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. and she joins us for Tuesday's AU. We'll talk about Fat Shaming, Compulsive Overeating and Food Addiction, Plus-size Fitness and Confidence, Open Trails, Life Lists, and more.

Kara Richardson Whitely has been a journalist for the past decade, writing for Self, Every Day With Rachael Ray, and Runner's World magazines and other publications. She is a national American Heart Association lifestyle change ambassador, and a motivational speaker, appearing at such events as the World Obesity Congress and Women's Health & Fitness Expo. She lives in Summit, New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.

Tom Williams worked as a part-time UPR announcer for a few years and joined Utah Public Radio full-time in 1996. He is a proud graduate of Uintah High School in Vernal and Utah State University (B. A. in Liberal Arts and Master of Business Administration.) He grew up in a family that regularly discussed everything from opera to religion to politics. He is interested in just about everything and loves to engage people in conversation, so you could say he has found the perfect job as host “Access Utah.” He and his wife Becky, live in Logan.