From Becoming Paralyzed to Hiking Across 6 Continents | Caitlin James

You never know how close you are to a great story. I (Justin) learned that on my recent trip to Africa on my way to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro. Boarding my flight I met Caitlin James as she was on her way to climb the very same mountain. The more I heard from her, the more I realized I had come across a truly amazing story. Caitlin was paralyzed in a boating accident. Through surgery and rehab, she eventually regained the ability to walk. Walking was just the start though. She jokingly said if she could walk again she'd climb a mountain in a banana suit...and that's exactly what she did. That first mountain hooked her, and she has racked up an insanely impressive list of summits in just a couple of years. This story may not seem relevant to some for this show, but we thought it made perfect sense. Many people want to do something adventurous, travel, and spend their days outside instead of behind a computer. These reasons are what drive them to retire. But Caitlin isn't waiting for retirement to live out her dreams and pursue her passions. Instead, she is making her passions her career. Caitlin reinvented herself and her career. Check out her expeditions over the last couple of years: NORTH AMERICA DENALI Alaska 20,310 MT WHITNEY, California 14,505 MT RAINIER, Washington 14,411 MT HELEN, Washington 10,786 SOUTH AMERICA ACONCAGUA 22,837 (Normal route) Ojos del Salado 22,615 (Argentinian side) PERU Cordillera Blanca Range; Huascaran 22,205 Chacraraju 20,039 Salkantay 20,574 Ausangate Nevado trek; Machu Picchu 7,972 Huayna Picchu 8,835 Rainbow Mountain 17,060 Nevado Ausangate 20,945 Nevados Ojos del Salado 22,569 ECUADOR Chimborazo 20,549 EUROPE MONT BLANC 15,777 MATTERHORN 14,692 The EIGER 13,642 The ALPHUBEL 13,799 DOLOMITES 10,968 MONTE ROSA 15,203 BRITISH COLUMBIA MT LOGAN 19,551 MT FAIRWEATHER 15,325 MT ROBSON 9,281 FT AFRICA Kilimanjaro, 19,341 (3x in two years) Umbwe, Marangu, Machame Route Mt Meru 14,980 Cape Town 3,563 CHILE Torres Del Paine (Patagonia) JAPAN MT Fuji 12,388 MT Tsurugi 9,839 NEPAL EBC TREK 17,598 LOBUCHE 20,062 ISLAND PEAK 20,252 MANASLU C3 23,622 INDONESIA SUMATRA 12,484 AUSTRALIA MT KOSCIUSZKO 7,310 MT TOWNSEND 7,247 GREAT OCEAN WALK 240 Kilo/149miles We hope this inspires you to consider how you can chase your dreams now and not feel as though your life is chained up until retirement. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! Links from The Episode * Caitlin on Instagram * Caitlin's Website * Caitlin on TikTok * Caitlin on Facebook Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! * Grab the Ultimate FI Spreadsheet * Join our Facebook Group