Sheila Conway

Bio: I am currently an at home mother of three (Shawn, Carmen and Chris). Married to Mike Conway, independent filmmaker. I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1989 and was a Chef for many years. I love to bake and do pastries mostly. I act in my husbands films and have always been a movie lover. I have a history of distance running but it was never as fun as this hiking thing.

Age: 46

Why did you join the 52 Peak Club: I have long term aspirations of thru-hiking the AT and realized that I wasn't doing much about those aspirations so June of 2012 I took a friend's advice and found the meetup hiking groups in Las Vegas. I hiked and walked and listened and as it turned out, the people who I seemed to like hiking with most all belonged to this offshoot group collecting these cards and I got sucked right in..

Date Completed all 52 Peaks: April 21st, 2013 (26th person to become a 53er)

Toughest Peak: My toughest peak was not because of the peak but because of me. We were attempting a three peak day, Goodman, White Rock Hills and White Rock Springs. I got a bit nautious on Goodman but ignored it. At the peak of WRH's I was so miserable. We had to bag out of the third peak and I felt really bad for everyone else. I still get queasy when I think about that day.

Favorite Hike: Can't do it. But I can give you my tops: Wilson up Cleaver Crack, Lost Creek with the ledge, Ice Box Peak, Holiday. I also love Oak Peak

How did you feel once you became a 53er: Weirdly sort of free. I don't mean free from any more hiking of course, but when you're trudging after those cards it's really fun but you're focused in on getting the peaks you need. When I finished all of the sudden I realized I could pick whatever I wanted and try them alone or with the group or watch for non card hikes and multi peak hikes and alternative route hikes. I'm really excited now to just get to know the whole area more personally.

Advice for new hikers: Get to know everybody. Everybody has something to offer and there's so much to learn. Trust that your body will learn to do the things that it can't do now. In a spot where you now feel frozen, if you keep trying and trusting your organizers and fellow hikers, you will come back and ask yourself "what was I so afraid of ?" Your balance will improve, your vertigo will lessen, your speed will increase and it will become more and more fun. Don't define what kind of hiker you are too early. You may be surprised at what kind of hiker you are capable of becoming. I still don't know what kind of hiker I'm capable of becoming. That's why I'm going to stay out there.