I've known Debbie for nearly seven years. She and I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in 2016 and have become great friends over the years, meeting up as often as we can to hike the trails and get out in nature to just simply, walk and talk. I have an enormous amount of respect for Debbie not only as an elite athlete who has run several ultramarathons, summited 6 of the 7 Summits to date with plans to climb Mt Everest next year to complete her mission, but also as a mother, a wife, a businesswoman, and friend. She walks the talk and is an amazing example of what women can do when they put their minds to something. I hope you will enjoy this conversation as much as we did having it and I welcome you to my very first, unedited, podcast episode. Get ready Mavens, Debbie's stories from her running and climbing career are truly incredible.
Bio
Debbie Bulten is a mother of 3, a joint business owner with my husband, and a multi-sport endurance athlete.
Debbie's running journey started at the age of 15 with the regional track and field team, and progressed through Provincial and National levels. She took a break during her university years to concentrate on her studies, then jumped back in when she was 25, after the birth of her first child. She completed her first marathon in Toronto that year and found her love of running again. She competed in her first triathlon several years later, which kick-started her journey into Ironman triathlon. During her years of competing in Ironman races, she began training for ultramarathons. Debbie found a passion for endurance sports and completed her first ultra-distance race in 2011. Since then she's run more than 80 ultras ranging in distance from 50K to 240+ miles.
Debbie has been fortunate to enjoy a long career spanning more than 3 1/2 decades. She was the first female to complete a 200-mile trail ultra in Canada and is currently on a bid to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountain peak on each continent around the world. Debbie undertook the Seven Summits project because she thrives on challenges that engage both mind and body, and strives to push the limits of her own potential in her endeavors. Through endurance sport, she tries to show herself and others that we are capable of more than we think, and the potential of our bodies and minds can be realized when we put ourselves out there.
