►
From YouTube: Moments with Melinda: Interview with Jan Reynolds
Description
From Melinda Moulton:
Jan Reynolds is a world record setting climber and skier, olympic athlete, and award winning author and photographer. She's known for her ability to capture extraordinary imagery and stories while climbing and skiing in extremely high-risk environments and expeditions.
Jan secured a breakthrough assignment on a high-profile, National Geographic–sponsored climb and ski of Mustagata in Western China, where she set the world high altitude skiing record for women, as well as set the record for the highest descent from a summit with her male partners. She led dozens of exploratory expeditions and completed first ascents around the globe, working with the best adventure athletes in the world - including the gruelling record setting Everest Grand Circle Expedition. Her adventures are chronicled in her book The Glass Summit; One Woman's Epic Journey Breaking Through. She lives in Stowe, Vermont.
For more information about this guest, visit: http://www.janreynolds.com/
2/3/2023
https://linktr.ee/townmeetingtv
Town Meeting TV is a free speech forum and the ideas expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Town Meeting TV trustees and staff. If you have a different perspective to share, we invite you to join the conversation! Create your own program or cover a community meeting or event. Contact maketv@cctv.org or call 862-3966.
Thank you for tuning into Town Meeting TV! Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and visit our website for more videos and information about how we open the doors to local government using community media. www.Ch17.TV
This video belongs to http://www.cctv.org and published with permission under Creative Commons License CCTV Center for Media & Democracy Programming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
A
A
A
And
I'm
channeling
you
with
these
sunglasses,
because
because
I'm
going
to
tell
my
viewers
all
about
you
for
any
of
you
out
there
who
don't
know
Jan,
Reynolds,
Jan
Reynolds
is
a
Seventh
Generation,
vermonter
International,
Explorer,
World,
record-setting,
climber
and
skier
and
award-winning
non-fiction,
author
working
in
extreme
environments,
I
mean
mom
and
a
mom
and
a
mom
of
course,
probably
my
most
important
job
that
is
I'm.
Sorry
I
forgot
that
you're
absolutely
right.
A
You
are
the
mother
to
two
pretty
remarkable
Sons,
so
Jan
we're
going
to
get
right
to
it
right
here,
because
I
have
a
lot
to
cover
with
you
for
this
show.
Today,
I'm
going
to
start
my
timer
and
first
off
I
want
to
ask
you
to
share
with
my
viewers
since
you're
a
Seventh
Generation
vermonter
share
with
my
viewers
about
growing
up
in
Vermont.
B
My
dad
and
hired
men
were
milking
a
little
over
100
cows,
so
it
wasn't
too
big
of
a
farm,
but
my
dad
owned
other
Farms
too,
and
so
we
rode
around
in
trucks
and
in
the
corn
fields
and
played
in
the
apple
trees
and
so
the
basic
Vermont.
At
that
time,
I
think
vermonters
have
a
sense
of
humility,
a
sense
of
if
it
breaks
you
can
fix
it,
a
sense
of
being
understated,
a
sense
of
being
very
capable.
B
Yet
understated
and
I
think
that
sort
of
Vermont
background
has
stuck
with
me
and
I
think
when
I
travel
and
I
work
overseas
and
when
I
work
with
indigenous
people
in
my
book
series,
Vanishing
cultures
I
think
that
Vermont
background,
where
I
grew
up
living
close
to
the
land
and
the
Animals.
It's
probably
part
of
what
drives
draws
me
way
out
there
with
other
people
that
are
living
very
close
to
the
land
and
the
Animals.
B
B
Well,
there's
a
woman
named
Anne's
story
and
she's
buried
in
our
family
graveyard
down
in
Middlebury,
and
she
was
the
original
single
mom
and
back
in
history.
Our
ancestors
were
in
Connecticut,
they
were
bound
out
and
what
that
means.
It's
kind
of
like
the
closest
you
could
get
to
slavery.
You
belong
to
someone
and
you
had
to
work
their
Farms,
but
both
the
French
King
and
the
English
king
gave
away
the
same
land
up
north,
which
is
now
Vermont.
B
B
There
were
problems
in
the
north
between
the
Indians
and
the
French
coming
down
and
trying
to
burn
out
the
settlers
because
the
French
King
said
it
belonged
to
them
in
the
English
king
and
those
settlers
said
it
belonged
to
them
and
blah
blah
blah
but
sir
the
whole
the
whole
thing
of
being
on
the
farm
and
when
you
were
mentioning
Seventh,
Generation,
seventh
or
eighth
generation.
That's
where
that
comes
from
just
the
stories
about
Anne's
story
and
her
being
an
early
settler,
wasn't.
A
B
A
B
B
Even
though
living
in
caves
being
without
food
for
five
days
trying
to
find
our
way
to
civilization
in
the
Himalaya
I
crossed
over
into
Tibet
on
skis
and
the
Chinese
Army
was
there
chasing
me
and
they,
but
they
just
had
their
little
canvas
army
boots
and
pistols
and
I
was
on
the
biathlon
team
and
I
knew
the
range
of
a
rifle
and
I.
It's
kind
of
funny,
I
mean
on
skis,
there's
no
way.
They're
going
to
catch
me.
B
They're
trying
to
run
along
and
the
range
of
a
pistol
is
nothing
like
a
rifle,
but
it
it
was
very
sad
and
scary.
There
have
been
people
who
the
Chinese
Army
have
captured
up
there
and
shot.
So
you
know
it
was
very
real.
You
know
things
like
that:
hot
air
balloon
over
Everest.
We
crashed,
we
rolled.
We
caught
on
fire,
I
managed
to
put
it
out,
so
we
didn't
blow
with
the
gas
tanks
hanging
right
there.
A
You
have
done,
and-
and
you
have
you
have
done
extraordinary-
you
have
had
a
life
full
of
extraordinary
experiences.
So
what
do
you
think
and
you
you
said
it
a
little
bit
in
the
opening
of
our
discussion.
But
what
do
you
think
gave
you
this
grit
and
the
confidence
and
also
the
skill
to
be
what
you
are
known
as
quite
comfortably
I
hope
as
a
world
Explorer.
B
So
I'd
go
back
to
background
again.
You
know
that
I'm
in
order
to
play
with
the
bigger
kids
on
the
farm,
you
know,
I
had
to
keep
up
I.
Think
that
had
something
to
do
with
it
and
living
with
living
simply
would
just
hand
me,
downs
and
and
all
of
those
kinds
of
things
I
think
it
set
me
up
for
being
able
to
get
along,
go
with
the
flow
I
think
when
I
was
younger.
B
Skiing
does
a
lot
for
you
in
terms
of
endurance,
and
you
never
really
know
how
you're
doing
until
you
finish
so
conditions
could
be
all
awful
and
you
think
you're
not
doing
well,
but
it's
maybe
awful
for
everybody
else
and
the
next
thing
you
know
you
won.
If
you
just
keep
hanging
in
there,
so
I
think
Vermont
and
farm
life
and
being
a
nationally
ranked
cross-country,
skier
and
training
for
that
set
me
up
for
the
kind
of
strength
and
attitude
I
might
need
and
then
the
skills.
B
A
Now
now
Jan
you
were
a
member
of
the
Explorers
Club
in
New
York
City
and
you
were
being
inducted
into
the
United
States
Ski
and
Snowboard
Hall
of
Fame
in
March.
You've
received
numerous
Awards
and
been
hailed
as
one
of
the
most
amazing
and
interesting
women
in
the
world,
and
yet
you
were
one
of
the
most
understated
and
humble
people
that
I
know.
So
how
do
you
balance
your
Fame
with
your
humility
and
your
Humanity.
A
A
A
member
of
the
ski
of
the
Explorers
Club
and
and
also
to
to
this
year
to
be
inducted
into
the
ski
Hall
of
Fame,
the
United
States
Ski
and
Snowboard
Hall
family.
That's
a
big
deal
and
you've
received
numerous
Awards
and
recognition
over
your
lifetime.
So
and
you
balance
that
so
well,
I
mean
I.
Know
you
quite
well
as
a
friend
and
you
are
an
understated
and
you
have
a
lot
of
humanity
and
I'm,
just
wondering
for
my
viewers.
How
do
you
balance
that
all.
B
Now,
how
do
I
balance
that
all
well
a
couple
of
things?
Maybe
because
someone
else
said
this
to
me
too-
that
really
especially
outside
of
Vermont.
You
know
people
don't
know
who
who
I
am
or
what
are
what
I
do
or
what
my
work
is.
Hopefully
they
appreciate
my
books,
the
kids
and
Librarians
that
pick
them
up
and
they
are
still
in
print
30
years.
So
my
work,
my
work
is
working
and
that's
what's
important
to
me,
but
me
personally,
I
think
Melinda.
B
If
I
had
been
a
man
who
things
have
changed
now
and
women
are
doing
everything
and
getting
lots
of
attention
for
it
as
they
should,
but
I
think
if
I
had
been
a
man
doing
all
the
different
things
that
I've
done,
the
US
biathlon
team
setting
World
Records
award-winning
books.
You
know
it
would
have
been
a
bigger
deal,
but
you
know,
as
a
female
I
think
you
just
kind
of
fall
through
the
cracks.
A
Well,
here
here
because
you're
you're
not
you're
you're
a
little
you're
several
years
quite
a
bit
few
years
than
I
am
but
you're
in
your
60s
yeah
67
I,
don't
mind
giving
you
know,
I,
don't
and
I'm
72,
but
you
look
like
I,
mean
you're,
very
youthful,
looking
very,
very
useful
to
looking
and
and
so
anyway.
I
get
that
whole
thing
about
being
a
woman.
A
B
Back
in
Melinda,
you
are
the
same,
you
are
the
same
and
I
was
so
excited
when
that
article
came
out
about
you
that
I
read
because
it
it's
the
same
thing,
you're
very
competent.
You
do
your
work,
you
get
it
done.
If
you
had
been
a
man,
you
probably
would
have
been
touted
over
and
over
again
or
there
would
have
been
more
money
thrown
at
you
for
more
projects.
B
B
A
Well,
we'll
have
to
have
a
car
off
we'll
have
to
have
an
off
TV
discussion
about
that
I
want
you
to
take
us
right
now
to
your
extraordinary
Vanishing
cultures,
book
series
and
you,
you
have
published
now
I
think
over
20
books
and
talk
to
us
about
this
project
that
you've
been
doing
for
probably
many
years
and
writing
your
children's
book
called
Vanishing
cultures.
Book
series
share
that
with
my
viewers.
B
B
B
I'd
set
a
lot
of
records
and
all
of
this,
but
I
had
two
months
to
really
literally
lay
on
the
couch
and
think
about
it
that
if
my
body
got
put
back
together,
what
would
I
do
what's
important
and
during
that
time
that's
how
I
came
up
with
the
vanishing
cultures
series
and
for
me,
I
figured
oh
there's
always
going
to
be
people
to
set
records,
and
that
was
that
was
so
in
invigorating
and
exciting
when
I
did
it.
But
what
meant
more
to
me?
B
Were
these
people
that
I
met
in
the
nooks
and
crannies
of
planet
Earth?
They
were
lovely
and
they
were
Vanishing.
They
were
disappearing
fast.
Their
way
of
life
and
I
knew
if
I
was
put
back
together
or
because
I
scuba
dive,
I
Skydive
I
ice,
climb,
I
ski
I
can
bike,
I
can
hike
I
can
get
into
about
anywhere.
B
So
I
decided
I
wanted
to
do
something
to
give
these
indigenous
people
around
the
world
that
I
had
met
in
the
nooks
and
crannies,
a
voice
and
I
wanted
to
photograph
their
way
of
life
before
we
couldn't
do
it
anymore.
Now,
if
someone
wanted
to
follow
my
footsteps
and
went
back
to
all
the
places
I
went
to,
they
would
not
be
able
to
get
the
photographs
I've
gotten
it.
It
was
changing
that
fast
and
I
lived
with
an
indigenous
tribe
on
each
continent.
B
Photographed
him
wrote
about
him
Tibetans
in
the
Himalaya,
the
tuireg
in
the
Sahara,
which
is
the
matrilineal
society.
The
men
wear
veils,
not
the
women,
and
they
ran
the
salt
Caravans
across
the
Sahara,
the
the
samis
in
the
far
north,
the
reindeer
herders,
the
aboriginals
in
Australia,
the
Inuit
for
North
America
that
we're
still
building
igloos
and
hunting
and
the
anamama
in
the
Amazon
territory,
which
was
hundreds
of
miles
out.
It
took
me
two
months
to
get
permission
to
even
get
in
there
and
Mongolia.
B
So
that's
how
that
was
born
out
of
having
a
I
almost
wish
for
everyone
not
to
have
something
go
wrong
with
their
body,
but
give
them
time
somewhere
in
their
life.
A
couple
of
months
like
if
I
could
do
anything.
What
would
it
be
and
then
go
for
it?
I.
Remember
my
friend
driving
me
to
New
York,
City
and
I
ended
up
with
back
surgery
and
I
ended
up
being
okay
and
I.
Couldn't
even
sit
down
so
I
laid
flat
and
I
would
go
into
publishing
houses
and
they'd
say:
oh
have
a
seat.
B
You
know
you
know,
we'd
like
to
see
your
photographs.
What
you
know,
what
do
you?
What
are
you
proposing
here
and
I?
Go?
No!
No!
No
I've
been
you
know,
driving
in
I'd,
rather
not
sit
down,
I
I
didn't
dare
tell
them.
I
said
I'm.
You
know
I'm
going
to
the
Himalaya
I'm
going
to
the
Sahara
and
I.
Couldn't
even
freaking
sit
down
right,
so
who's
gonna
give
me
a
whole
bunch,
some
money
in
advance.
You
know
and
then
royalties,
when
I
can't
even
sit
down.
So
it
was
hilarious.
You.
A
B
There
are
a
couple
things
that
I
would
like
to
get
across
in
this
book,
and
one
is
that
with
the
bajao
they
can
see
underwater
in
a
way
we
can't
and
they
can
stay
underwater
for
almost
15
minutes
and
they
have
lived
on
boats
for
many
generations
and
they
hunt
underwater,
so
their
bodies
have
literally
adapted.
So
it's
a
way
to
show
children
that
this
human
form.
We
have
isn't
our
final
form.
If
you
look
at
the
bajao,
you
can
see
how
we
genetically
adapt
and
so
and
then
the
other
thing.
B
Think
a
lot
of
it
is
it's
one
way
I
can
describe.
It
is
if
you
go
to
Tibet
the
Tibetans
and
the
Sherpas
can
breathe
up
higher
better
than
we
can,
because
genetically
their
bodies
have
been
adapting
for
thousands
of
years.
So
that's
a
better
way
to
explain
it.
So,
just
with
the
bajau
they
have
been
adapting
to
being
underwater
so
they're.
You
know
all
that
you
need
a
scientist
for
that,
but,
yes,
genetically
we
adapt
to
our
environment,
like
all
animals
do
so.
B
A
B
Was
on
the
togian
islands
and
they
are
you
know,
Indonesia
is
made
up
of
they
say
17
000
Islands,
so
it
took
me
four
days
to
get
all
the
way
out
to
the
tokian
islands
and
I
found
some
of
the
bajau.
They
really
are
living
on
their
boats,
but
what
they'll
do
is
make
like
a
sort
of
a
permanent
boat.
It's
like
a
house
on
the
over
the
water
and
the
boat
can
go
under
and.
B
A
B
Know
I
am
putting
it
together
now
and
we
don't
know
what
the
title
will
finally
be
and
I
will
be
talking
with
different
Publishers
in
New
York,
Simon
and
schusters
expressed
some
interest
but
I'm
also
putting
up
free
books
on
my
YouTube
channels.
Just
go
to
YouTube,
go
to
Jan,
Reynolds
and
I.
Have
one
book
called
loving
kindness
about
a
young
turku
he's
a
reincarnated
llama,
just
like
the
Dalai
Lama
and
I
have
a
book
about
his
life
learning
about
compassion
and
loving
kindness,
so
I'm
working
a
lot
of
different
ways.
B
A
Exciting
how
exciting
Jan
and
you
and
you
and
so
I
want
to
talk
to
you
a
little
bit
about.
We
talked
about
the
Ann's
story
from
the
Revolutionary
period
about
this
woman
who
lived
in
Middlebury
and
her
husband
and
son
were
her.
Husband
was
killed
and
she
had
to.
She
had
her
home
burned
and
lived
in
a
cave,
and
then
she
created
rebuilt
her
house
and
then
had
a
tunnel
where
the
the
Patriots
could
the.
A
A
B
Buried
in
our
family
graveyard,
so
she's
nearby,
no
matter
what
nearby
operation
and
she
ended
up.
She
was
a
single
mom
with
her
kids
way
up
in
on
when
there
was
no
Road,
you
had
to
walk
over
a
trail,
I
guess
there
was
a
road
to
Rutland
and
after
that
you
had
to
walk,
but
she
had
a
horse
to
put
the
packs
on.
She
went
up
with
her
kids.
Her
husband
was
killed,
clearing
the
land,
but
she
went
up
anyway,
fantastic.
A
A
A
B
A
B
B
It
was
the
most
fun
thing
I
could
think
of
to
do
on
planet
Earth
these
guys
that
I
was
hanging
out
with
that
we
would
go
and
climb
and
it's
30
below
zero
and
that
lenticular
cloud
is
over
Everest
and
it's
coming
your
way
and
you
better
hunker
down
and
Propel
off
or
you're
gonna
get
blown
off,
and
it's
just
that
connection
with
your
climbing
buddies
for
mortality
and
picking
a
a
goal
and
doing
it
I
there
was
nothing.
There
was
nothing
in
the
world
at
that
point
in
time
that
I
thought
was
more
fun.
B
I
call
it
my
stranger
bizarre,
but
to
me,
and
for
those
that,
like
that
kind
of
thing
there
wasn't
any
other
place
I'd
rather
be
even
when
we
ran
out
of
food
it
still
it's
so
remarkable
because
you
are
so
alive.
It's
not
a
death
wish
you're,
so
alive.
Every
moment
counts
every
thought.
Every
decision,
your
connection
with
your
teammates.
It
makes
life
so
big
and
real
and
immediate.
You.
A
B
A
But
but
you're
also
a
lecturer,
and
you
are
very
generous
with
your
time
and
you
speak
to
students
and
in
communities
and
share
your
experiences
so
Jan.
What
do
you
have
to
say
to
children
today
that
are
growing
up
in
a
world
where
their
climate
is
Heating
and
they're?
Faced
with
one
of
our
species,
greatest
threats.
B
I
think
I
would
say
that
inside
every
one
of
you,
kids,
there
are
skills
and
ideas
that
you
have
that
we
need,
and
the
most
important
thing
is
to
dig
deep
and
find
out
what
it
is
that
you
have
to
serve
to
give
to
offer.
Even
if
you're
a
poet,
you
know
how's
that
going
to
help.
Well,
your
words,
look
at
Amanda
Gorman,
okay,
poet,
so
so
your
your
special
gifts,
your
job,
is
to
find
what
that
gift
is
and
then
give
it.
A
A
It
is,
and
I
and
I
think
you
found
it,
and
so
so
now
we're
coming
to
the
close
and
there's
and
I
want
you
Jan.
You
see
the
world
in
a
way
that
most
of
us
can
only
dream
about,
and
you
see
the
big
picture
because
you're
out
there
in
the
world
in
places
that
none
of
us
even
know
exist.
So
what
is
your
vision
for
the
next
20
years
and
what
are
your
hopes
for
humankind.
B
A
A
You
know
well
Jan
Reynolds.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
Thank
you
for
your
friendship.
Thank
you
for
being
a
Seventh
Generation
from
honor
and
for
sticking
around
for
sticking
around
and
for
giving
us
the
Next
Generation
in
your
two
beautiful
sons
and
I
honor.
You
and
thank
you
for
being
on
my
show
and
to
my
viewers
I,
want
to
thank
you
for
joining
me
and
Jan
Reynolds.
For
this
half
hour
and
I
will
see
you
soon
have
a
good
day.
Bye,
bye,.