Mary Helen Bowers

Kara Richardson Whitely has hiked Mount Kilimanjaro three times while weighing as much as 300 pounds. Kara, a motivational public speaker, has written for Self, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Runner’s World magazines. She has been featured on Oprah’s Lifeclass and Good Morning America, and in the New York Times, Redbook, Weight Watchers, and Backpacker magazines. She lives in Summit, New Jersey, with her husband and three children.