JACKSON HOLE — Kristy R. Ellmer completed the 29029 challenge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, by scaling a mountain 19 times within 36 hours to accumulate 29,029 feet of elevation gain—the vertical equivalent of Mount Everest. She earned the Red Hat, an award given to participants who finish the grueling endurance event.
Ellmer trained for 20 weeks in varied conditions, including snow, rain, and heat, across multiple countries and U.S. states. She often trained during early mornings and late nights, using the strategy of focusing only on the immediate next step—such as the next workout or half mile—rather than the full scope of the challenge. Throughout her preparation, Ellmer sought guidance from coaches and mentors who had previously completed the Everesting event. She wrote down her personal commitments and reviewed them regularly to keep them top of mind. She also celebrated small wins, such as finishing a run without blisters, and found value in the training process itself, viewing difficult moments as opportunities to build mental toughness and resilience. "Let the hard make you stronger," Ellmer said.
In addition to her athletic pursuits, Ellmer is a managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where she leads the firm’s transformation practice and co-founded BCG’s Behavioral Science Lab. She previously served as a chief transformation officer and co-authored the book 'How Change Really Works: Seven Science-based Principles for Transforming Your Organization.' Her TED Talk on navigating change with confidence has drawn more than half a million views.
During the winter, Ellmer set a goal to improve her skiing skills and successfully progressed to completing intermediate (blue) runs by dedicating more time to skiing and watching instructional videos. She now plans to participate in the 29029 Trail, a sequence of three mountain marathons completed consecutively over three days.