Gorge Quotes

“The mind gives up a lot sooner than the body, making it tough to know if you’re really in trouble or if you’re just making excuses, calling it quits before you’ve reached your full potential.”
― Kara Richardson Whitely, Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds

“Even things that seem as if they always have been or will be are indeed temporary. We’re all moving parts, passing in and out of life. The air we breathe, the earth we stand on, and especially the people we meet are already on their way out. Still, every experience, every interaction becomes part of our DNA, our past, and our path forward.”
― Kara Richardson Whitely, Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds

“every lousy experience in my past have made me who I am. But I need to put the bad stuff aside to live the life I desire, a life filled with travel, adventure, and love. It’s a lot easier to walk, no matter where I am on the scale, without carrying around all that junk. No bag of candy, no pint (or half gallon) of ice cream, will change the fact that it’s easier to walk without the baggage.”
― Kara Richardson Whitely, Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds

“I had mutilated myself with food year after year. Now I had to carry the results with me day in and day out. I wanted to blame everyone and everything else. My gloves were too thin. My boots were too heavy. With each step I took, my feet dug deeper into the scree, making it more difficult to move. I could see that my bitching and moaning were holding up the group. I had a choice: stand still or keep going. Going back was not an option.”
― Kara Richardson Whitely, Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds

“I needed not to feel less than others. I needed not to beat myself up with food. I need to nourish my soul, my body, my mind. Not with juice detoxes but with tasty raspberries. Walks filled with laughter. Lovemaking with my husband. Love in general.”
― Kara Richardson Whitely, Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds

“Hikers typically work under the premise of leaving no trace, but I wanted to drop my metaphorical rubbish all over the mountain and let it float away in the wind. But maybe it wouldn’t work that way. Maybe my weight would always be part of my story. That didn’t mean I had to keep punishing myself for my past.”
― Kara Richardson Whitely, Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds

“Stacey looked out over the landscape, which was more gray than green. The vegetation, while sparser, was a delightful surprise between the rocks. It showed it could survive and thrive in adversity.”
― Kara Richardson Whitely, Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds