Kara Richardson Whitely

"In Gorge, Kara Richardson Whitely takes us where few have dared to go before: thrillingly up to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and profoundly down to the darkest depths of food addiction. Fearlessly honest and powerfully intelligent, I was moved and inspired by every page of this beautiful book." -- Cheryl Strayed

Don’t judge a girl by her blubber. Kara Richardson Whitely has hiked Mount Kilimanjaro three times while weighing as much as 300 pounds. Why three times? Because sometimes that’s what it takes to get over something.

Gorge, her inspiring and empowering book about the experience, was published by Seal Press in Spring 2015. It has been called one of "Five Fabulous, Possibly Life-Changing Books" by Redbook magazine. Backpacker magazine said Kara's story as a plus-size adventurer is "as inspiring as it is refreshing." The New York Times Sunday Book Review said, in Gorge, Kara "writes accessibly and frankly about her struggles with both Kilimanjaro and her self-image... This detailed account of her travails will give confidence not only to hesitant would-be mountaineers but to those, like her, whose biggest hurdle is 'to learn to be O.K. with who I was.'

**Her next book, Weight of Being, will be released on July 31, 2018.**

Kara Richardson Whitely takes action steps for health and a better world. Kara, who is also a motivational public speaker and American Hiking Society ambassador, has written for Self, Everyday with Rachael Ray and Runner’s World magazines. She was recently featured on Oprah’s Lifeclass, Good Morning America, an Outside magazine 127 Defining Moments finalist and has been written about in Redbook, American Hiker and Weight Watchers magazines. Here's an excerpt in Good Housekeeping! Kara was a blogger for Weight Watchers and is currently an Ambassador for the American Hiking Association and a National Binge Eating Recovery Advocate for Eating Recovery Center.

She has addressed audiences at events including the World Obesity Congress and Women's Health & Fitness Expo, as well as Google, Sanofi, Pfizer, Dartmouth, Purdue and more.

You can learn more about her and book her for a speaking engagement at www.kararichardsonwhitely.com.

She lives in Summit, New Jersey with her husband, two daughters and one son.