Age: 39

Give 3 examples of how this person is thriving at altitude.
Marin is a 39-year-old single mother to her 4-year-old son, Winter. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and teaches Spanish at Steamboat Springs Middle School. She is constantly striving to better herself and further her education — she holds two master’s degrees and is often taking additional continuing education courses — in order to be the best teacher she can be.  In addition to committing herself to be the best teacher and mother she can be, she makes her health and fitness a top priority, as well. She is a triathlete — completed two triathlons this summer — and avid climber of 14ers, an avid downhill, backcountry and AT skier despite a knee injury she incurred last summer during a soccer game that set her back a bit. You will often see her skinning up the mountain in the winter after school before she races back to pick up her son. She spends every moment she can enjoying the outdoors and teaching her son and her students to do the same. She takes Winter camping, paddleboarding on lakes and rafting as much as she can in the summer months, and she leads groups of middle schoolers to do outdoor activities, like kayaking and hiking 14ers, through her work with Everything Outdoor Steamboat.

How does this person inspire you?
Marin’s love of life, love of learning and love of family and connection are a huge inspiration to me.

What life lessons can community members learn from this individual?
What I think others can learn from Marin is that, despite life’s setbacks and challenges — being a single mom, knee injuries, trying to make ends meet on a teacher’s salary — we can all keep striving to live a life full of connection to others, adventure and continued growth.