How Divorce, Death, and Motherhood Changed Jan Redford’s Relationship to Rock Climbing and Risk

When your sport is closely linked to your relationships, how can you find your own path and feel fulfilled on your own? We chat with a rock climber, writer, and mother who’s been through decades of ups and downs, from losing a partner in an avalanche to ending an unhealthy marriage and from putting herself in death-defying outdoor situations to building a new relationship with risk. Jan Redford is the author of “End of the Rope: Mountains, Marriage & Motherhood.” She lives in Squamish, B.C. with her husband and their 95 lb. pandemic pup, Juno, not far from her two adult kids. Jan now spends her time mountain biking, trail running, skiing, hiking, and occasionally climbing and is working on her next book, “Who Shall I Be Today?”, a prequel to her first memoir.   We talk about… - Getting messages as a girl to “contain yourself” and “be more ladylike,” but that felt impossible - Diving into a 3.5 month NOLS course as a crash course in mountain life, including skiing with little experience while carrying a pack over half her weight - When Jan’s boyfriend Dan and roommate Ian died in an avalanche on Mt. Foraker - “Death is an aphrodisiac”: Turning to another man after the loss, then one year later being pregnant and married - Relationships in sport, unhealthy marriage, and the Cinderella Complex - Latching onto the dream of university to get her through her current life - Seeing friends push themselves and take off in their climbing careers while she didn’t have time herself - Finding new ways to face fear and push self to keep adventuring through her 80’s and beyond - Death wishes vs. life wishes     How to connect with Jan: https://www.janredford.com https://www.instagram.com/janredford61/  https://www.facebook.com/EndoftheRopeMemoir/     👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕