WHEN I ASK CLIENTS TO THINK ABOUT THEIR PHYSICAL GOALS, usually we talk about body fat percentage, dress sizes, or a triathlon they’d like to train for. So when client and double Emmy-award winning producer Denise Cramsey told me she wanted to find an event that would really challenge her, I began researching what I knew: marathons, 500-mile bike rides, even an adventure travel/scavenger hunt. I reported my (rather lame) findings, but I could tell that none of my suggestions clicked with her.

Now, I know why.

Last  January, Denise told me that she was going to climb to Mt. Everest base camp. She left several months ahead of her self-imposed deadline to do it.

A surprised delight swept over me when she told me this news. She’s met the President, won two Emmys, and been at the helm of a couple of TV’s best loved reality shows (Trading Spaces and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition). Soon, she’ll have Mount Everest under her belt.

As a fitness coach, I endeavor to hold a flame for what each person could become. I aim to envision every individual as a future version of him or herself, often long before they reach their transformation. As Denise boards her flight to Nepal today, she’s turned the tables on me—teaching me something important about my own vision. I know you join me in wishing her safe travels and an exhilarating ascent.