Grace Kinyua’s biggest life conquests on hiking trail

It is the apple that fell close to the tree and became taller than the tree. She has summited Mount Kenya 19 times, including 12 times in 2023 in a 12-month challenge she took on at the start of the year. Those who know her well say that she deliberately chose to suffer, because she is always pushing herself to climb another mountain.

Her true north is the question her late father kept asking her every time she returned home from a mountain hike, “Which mountain are you going to climb next?”

She started hiking in 2018. First, she joined a hiking group, and her first attempt was at Mount Kinangup.

“While we were being briefed about the trek, they advised us to carry our boots because Kenangup was rainy. Being a beginner, I carried my beautiful red boots, which earned me the nickname Gucci Grace among the trekkers. So, in hiking circles, I am known as Gucci Grace,” she says.

Later, she climbed Mount Kenya and made it her hobby. After that, she went to Mount Kilimanjaro, then the Rwenzori Mountains, and has never stopped since.

She has become a professional and now no longer has to go out in groups. She’s taken so many trips locally, she’s stopped counting. During the days of working from home due to the Covid pandemic, she needed a placeholder for her hobby since there were restrictions on movement and gathering.

“I started walking, but soon it became too boring for me, so I started running. I started with a five-kilometer run and then moved to a 10-kilometer run, and by the time we resumed normal life, I could do a half marathon.

Last year, she challenged herself to run the Mount Kilimanjaro Race and the Kili Marathon, in less than 36 hours.

“We started at 5am and reached the base camp at 2pm. We kept working and reached the summit at 7.43pm.
Since this was a daily dash, Grace and her team came down again and rested the next day, anticipating the next day’s marathon, where she ran 21km.

“Doing such an activity is like going to war. Your focus on winning is your greatest arsenal. Mount Kilimanjaro taught me that the mind is the most powerful thing I have; anything I conceive in the mind can be achieved.” “Being there in the dark could have been on the highest point “In Africa it’s enough, but my mind was set on covering the whole nine yards.”

Grace didn’t tell her family until after she left for the hike and marathon because she felt they would discourage her.

“Everyone thinks you’re being neglectful, especially because I’m a parent of two. The conversations always revolve around them and the risks I’m exposing myself to. The truth is that those risks exist, and their fears are not misplaced. I believe that joy and fulfillment begin where fear ends. I make adequate plans before embarking on Such activities, this includes preparing my body, leaving my house in order, and planning my work so that my absence does not affect my work.

Grace lost two toenails while on Mount Kilimanjaro. “On the bright side, losing two toenails has reduced my pedicure expenses,” she laughs. “I rarely wear open shoes now. This is a small quid pro quo for the satisfaction I get by doing what I do. Moreover, my toenails, like hair, grow back, and my fingernails also grow back.

Even with this brave display, Grace admits she does so with fear. Early this year, the country held its breath when news emerged that Joshua Cheruiyot had gone off the radar while attempting to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. Sadly, days later, Cheruiyot’s death was confirmed.

“Joshua was a dear friend of mine, a colleague in the industry, and someone I looked up to on mountain matters. His death was a huge blow to our community. Last year, my first-ever guide fell on a hike on Mount Kenya and died while trying to rescue a hiker. These accidents can inspire fear. However, knowing that these friends died doing the things they loved inspires courage and resilience. Accidents don’t just happen in the mountains. I can only do my best to reduce the chances of these accidents happening, like having the right equipment And alignment to set safety protocols. So, yes, fear is part of the process, but the only way to get to the top is to overcome it.”

when BDLife When she visited her in Upper Hill, Nairobi, Grace had an ankle brace – an injury she got from running. “I think that’s why people say I like to suffer. I’ve been struggling with this for some time, and I can’t wait to get out of it and run the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon this year (scheduled for October 27).”

Grace’s achievements are not limited to mountaintops only. I completed a 100km circuit around Nairobi’s four main bypasses (the Southern, Western, Northern and Eastern bypasses in that order) in one day. While she conquers ultra-marathons, she also includes her two sons (ages 14 and 10) in some of these adventures.

“Last year, I went with them on a race. They did a two-kilometre walk back to base camp while I was making my way to the summit. They’ve joined me for two marathons and now they have medals to show for it.”

This helps her deal with her mother’s guilt over spending long hours away from her.

She encourages women to take up such hobbies and live more.

“Every time I look at my Strava rankings, I wish I could see more women. I’m encouraged by Courtney Dowwalter, who is one of the best ultra runners in the world. She’s a master of the game and beats both men and women and highlights women who dare To do more.

Grace firmly believes that mothers don’t have to give up their fun side when motherhood begins.

“Do things for yourself too. As mothers, we tend to get so immersed in raising our children that we forget who we were before we became parents. It will be helpful to remind yourself of yourself from time to time.