Support Kristie's Record-Breaking Kilimanjaro Climb

CBS News Feature - Blind Bay Area woman will be part of group summiting Mount Kilimanjaro

LA Times News Feature -- A blind California woman conquered snowboarding and the Boston Marathon. Now she’s taking on Kilimanjaro

Hi!

This fall – from September 29th to October 10th, 2025 – I’ll be part of a history-making expedition: a group of 11 blind hikers, along with sighted guides, will attempt to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro to break the world record for the largest group of blind people to summit Kilimanjaro at once.

To tell you a bit about me, my name is Kristie Colton, and I was diagnosed with a rare degenerative eye disease called Stargardt’s at age 9. The condition causes progressive loss of central vision, which means I can no longer see faces, read print, or recognize objects directly in front of me — but I’ve never let that stop me.

I’ll be guided by my best friends Grace Eysenbach & Jungyeon Park (CC'd) who have spent many years guiding me in a variety of sports, adventure, and travel– from snowboarding in Park City to backpacking the Grand Canyon to running the Boston Marathon.

Throughout high school, I was ashamed of my disability, afraid of being seen as less capable. But today, I treat my blindness as one of my greatest strengths — not only because it’s made me more resilient, but because it gives me the opportunity to show the world what’s possible. I believe we don’t have to overcome our disabilities to succeed; we get to succeed with them.

A documentary filmmaker, Andrew DeCrocker (“Krocky”) will be joining us to capture the full journey, from training to summit to safari. The story will spotlight the physical, emotional, and logistical complexities of a blind-led expedition on one of the most iconic mountains in the world.

This trip is entirely self-funded, and that’s where you come in. Your support will help cover the cost of travel, gear, training, and logistics for me and my guides.

Any additional funds raised will be donated to Guide Dogs of America!

(Where Kristie's guide dog, Vorden, is from)

Thanks again, and thank you for considering being part of my dream of summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro!

Best,

Kristie Colton

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