Jeanne Stawiecki is proving that it’s never too late to dramatically change your life — even in middle age.

The former two-pack-a-day smoker gave up the cigarettes to conquer the world.

Between October 2006 and February 2007, Jeanne ran a marathon on each of the world’s seven continents. That’s seven marathons in just 141 days.

Then, in March 2007, she reached the summit of Mount Everest, completing her quest to climb the world’s tallest mountains, the Seven Summits. Her achievement even put her into the Guinness Books of World Records. At the age of 57, she became the world’s oldest woman to complete the Seven Summits.

She explains why she set such lofty goals for herself and what adventures she has planned next.

Want to meet other Mount Everest explorers? Check out:

— Stacy Allison lived to tell the tale of becoming the first American
woman to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain but it took
her a couple tries to achieve her goal. Click here to find out why Stacy believes mountain climbing is a perfect metaphor for life’s challenges.

— Sean Swarner
is a two-time cancer survivor with only one functioning lung. Fifteen
years after doctors gave him two weeks to live, he reached the top of
Mount Everest. Click here to listen to our conversation.

— Ken Mitchell was a linebacker with Atlanta Falcons, a catcher
in the California Angels organization, played basketball in college
and raced motorcycles. But after a lifetime of athletics, he had both
knees replaced. He thought his climbing days were over but his nine
kids convinced him otherwise. Click here to listen to his description of his amazing journey to the top of Mount Everest.

— Just five years ago, Don Healy was a 60-year-old
couch potato who’d never exercised in his life. Now, he has reached the
top of the world — with an artificial hip. Click here to find out why he never gave up on his dream to look down from the top of the world.