The Holland moms trained for months, climbing sand dunes, walking local trails, and squeezing in living-room workouts after their kids went to bed. Last week, they traded Michigan’s flatlands for Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, part of a group of 30 single moms from across the state on a climb up Pikes Peak.
The expedition called “I Climb For Her” was organized by Traverse City-based nonprofit
Single MOMM, which supports single mothers across Michigan. Four women from the Holland area were among those attempting the 13-mile trek to the summit, more than 14,000 feet above sea level.
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Single MOMMKara Terpstra, director of Single MOMM’s Holland chapter and program mom, at the summit.
The climb was about more than mountain views. It was about proving that challenges can be met one step at a time when women walk together in community.
“It’s more about the how and the why,” says Jennifer Finnegan Pool, Single MOMM’s founder and executive director. “The how is one step at a time. That’s what climbing any obstacle is, just finding that next right step. The why is unique to each mom on that mountain.”
Pool, who founded Single MOMM in 2008, knew firsthand the symbolism of the climb. In 2011, she hiked Pikes Peak carrying a pair of socks that belonged to a friend, a fellow single mom who was dying of cancer.
“She loved the mountains and wanted to summit one more time, so she asked me if I would wear her socks to the top,” Pool says. “That was my why. I climbed for her. I carried her with me.”
Extensive preparation
This year’s group had been preparing for months, not only physically but mentally, financially, and logistically. The women arranged child care, planned travel, acquired gear, and met monthly to discuss the deeper meaning of the journey.
Seven staff members and three guides supported the effort, but Pool emphasized the focus was less on reaching the summit than on what the climb represented.
“Being a single mom is a very personal journey,” she says, “but one that’s best walked within a healthy community.”
That message resonated with Kara Terpstra, who directs Single MOMM’s Holland chapter. A single mom for nearly a decade, she says joining the organization a year ago gave her an unexpected gift.
“I’m leading this thing, but I’m gaining so much from the process,” Terpstra says. “I thought I was signing up to give back and help other moms, and yes, I’m doing that, but it’s helping me at the same time. It’s healing parts of me I didn’t expect.”
Since opening its office inside the Salvation Army Community Center, the Holland chapter has connected with more than 200 mothers through events and classes. Terpstra describes the programming as filling “the gap of community.”
“Single moms get really used to doing things on their own,” she says. “But once they opt into community with us, they realize really quickly how much healthier they can grow within community with other moms.”
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Single MOMMThe “I Climb For Her” expedition, organized by Single MOMM to support Michigan’s single mothers.
Ashley Williams, the chapter’s programming assistant, says she saw the transformation up close.
“When you’re a single mom, your world can feel very small,” Williams says. “As you join in community, you realize there are people who understand the journey. It’s rewarding to see moms walk into an event and breathe a sigh of relief: ‘Oh, I’m welcome here. Oh, this is for me.’”
Finding growth in the challenge
To Terpstra, Williams, and their peers, the climb up Pikes Peak mirrored the daily lives of single moms: physically demanding, mentally exhausting, but filled with moments of growth.
“We took 30 moms, six staff, and three guides up Pikes Peak,” Terpstra says. “It’s called ‘I Climb for Her’ because we’re climbing for each other. We wanted to take with us the stories of moms back home who are climbing their own mountains.”
Williams called the experience a once-in-a-lifetime challenge. “It was 13 miles, it was 14,000 feet — and it was proof they can do more than they ever thought possible,” she says. “That’s what community does.”
The moms gathered in Denver on Aug. 16, then spent several days hiking at Garden of the Gods and Rampart Range Reservoir to acclimate to the altitude before their 4:30 a.m. summit attempt on Aug. 21. Before the climb, they took part in a high ropes course for teambuilding.
Summit reflection
At the summit, Holland chapter director Kara Terpstra’s eyes revealed the weight of both the physical and emotional journey. She had finished ahead of many in the group, but stayed to welcome those who came after her, embodying the spirit of the climb.
“This hike was more demanding than I anticipated,” Terpstra shared after the trek. “I knew it would be a challenge, but I had no idea the amount of physical and mental capacity needed to reach the summit.
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Single MOMMFour women from Holland joined others in attempting the 13-mile climb to the summit, rising over 14,000 feet above sea level.
“I hiked alongside a small portion of the group, including Single MOMM staff and single moms. We laughed, we cried, and we came face to face with the fact that we are so much more capable than we ever imagined. We reached the summit arm in arm with tears and hugs having lived out the definition of ‘I Climb For Her’ by reminding each other of our ‘whys’ and leaning on each other in the trying moments. And for that I am forever grateful.”
The weeklong experience was documented on Single
MOMM’s Facebook page and Instagram
@_singlemomm. More information is available at
singlemomm.org.