Red Bull Summit Quest 2016: Post-Race Talk with Stevie Kremer

Originally Posted on June 17, 2016

We had the chance to catch up with our ambassador, Stevie Kremer, after her incredible feat in China at the Red Bull Summit Quest 2016. Not only was Stevie, despite her nervousness, able to achieve her goal of finishing the race, she saw her “crazy” dream come true when she finished first place!

H: Stevie! First off – congratulations! What a race!

S: Haha, thank you! Trust me, it’s a way bigger shock to me, than you!

H: You talked to us about how nervous you were before you left. How did you manage to mentally prepare yourself before arriving at the start line?

S: I think it helped that I arrived 36 hours before the race. I didn’t have much downtime to think about the race. Once I got there, we had an “Opening Ceremony” in the city of Golmud City (which was incredible!!!) and then went straight to base camp (5050 m). Once I got there, I found a chunk of snow and tested out the Hillsound Trail Crampon Pros for the first time. Then we had a racer meeting and it was nighttime. But don’t get me wrong, the nerves NEVER went away!

H: How was running at 6,100m? This was your first time that high up!

S: Going uphill is difficult as it is, but at that altitude the breathing was that much harder. But luckily, my breathing was the only thing I noticed, nothing else felt off, which was another shock.

H: Did racing in the snow feel any different than what you’re used to?

S: Oh yes! Like I said, I’ve never worn mountaineering boots or crampons on ice (I even put the crampons on wrong:-/ oops!). But because of the steepness and the altitude, it was a solid hike more than a run. But I did get a little speed going downhill in the crampons which was exciting!

H: So glad to hear that! The Red Bull Summit Quest was a huge challenge for you and you conquered it. Do you have any other big challenges you want to put yourself up against in the near future?

S: Yes, a marathon in Antarctica…then I could say I ran a race in each continent!

H: You said before you left that your one crazy dream was to win the Red Bull Summit Quest. Well, you’ve now achieved your crazy dream! What’s next?

S: Haha, to continue running and having lucky races in beautiful and unique places!

H: What’s the process like for you after these crazy big races? Your cool down / recovery process?

S: Well unfortunately I had to get on a plane that night, so the legs didn’t feel great in the morning. But I always try to get the legs moving just a little the day after. Although I don’t do it as much as I should, I also think stretching is very important. And, most importantly, listen to your body. If it’s still sore and tired, then keep resting; but if you feel good, then maybe go for a jog or hike and see how you feel.

H: Listen to your body. I like that advice! Thank you and congratulations again Stevie! You never cease to amaze us with each new achievement. Hope you have a good rest and we’ll talk to you again soon!

S: THANK YOU! For the incredible crampons! A couple of other athletes gave me googly eyes when they felt how light weight, yet solid they were!

You can follow Stevie on her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to see her Ambassador page.