BeWild Speaker Series: Q&A With Melissa Arnot Reid

With over two decades of high-altitude experience, Melissa Arnot Reid has become one of the most respected voices in modern mountaineering. As the first American woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, Melissa’s career has been defined by resilience, leadership, and a deep commitment to learning from the mountains she calls home.

On August 7, Melissa will join us at The Mountaineers Seattle Program Center for a special evening in our 2025 BeWild Speaker Series, where she’ll share stories from her newly released memoir, ENOUGH. The book offers a deeply personal reflection on the physical and emotional peaks she’s navigated in her life—both on and off the mountain.

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Ahead of her upcoming talk, we asked Melissa about the process of writing ENOUGH, along with a few fun, rapid-fire questions. Here’s what she had to say.

You’ve shared that the original title of your book was This Is Not a Book About Everest, and that it changed to ENOUGH late in the process. What inspired the original title, and what led to the decision to change it?
The original title was partly a joke, as it was the title of my book proposal that I sent to publishers initially. I felt like I had to set them up for success in knowing that it was not in fact a book about Everest. But my editor loved it, so we let it stay until the last minute. I just felt like the book itself shouldn't require an explanation. It was enough, and so we pulled the title and went from there.

As you began writing ENOUGH, which story were you most excited to share and which story was the most challenging to share? 
I was so excited to share the real, true, full details of my life. So much of what the public knows about me was curated by being a sponsored athlete or only through the lens of my mountain accomplishments. So this really felt like a chance to re-introduce myself. And that was also the most challenging part. Being as honest as I was while writing the book felt both scary and liberating, and still does today.

During the writing process, did you uncover anything surprising about yourself, your experiences, or the world around you?
The writing process was something so special that I will cherish forever as an essential part of my growth. I was able to revisit young versions of myself and tell her story as it was, and then forgive what needed forgiving and move on. That was a real surprise and such a gift.

You’ve summited Mount Everest six times—more than any other American woman. What’s one aspect of climbing Everest that you feel is often overlooked or misunderstood?
So much of climbing big mountains is about being resilient. You have a very long expedition ahead of you and if you get spun out by one bad hour or one bad day or even one bad week it can be hard to keep moving forward. I see people underestimate that aspect all the time. You have to be willing to have little failures and recover and keep going if you want to pursue big things (or big mountains). 

What role do you believe storytelling plays in shaping the future of outdoor leadership and building stronger communities in the outdoors?
We are creatures who learn through story  we always have been. I think that having access to stories helps us shape our own interior narratives and re-imagine where we can go. Storytelling  is one of my super powers as a mountain guide and I truly believe it is one of the greatest vehicles for learning (outside of doing!). 

Let’s end with a few rapid-fire questions:

What’s your current obsession?
Training! I am doing a big running race this year and the training is a fun experiment. I love trying new things and seeing what I can learn, and I am learning so much right now!

What’s your favorite or most essential self-care ritual?
I am incredibly social but I am also someone who needs A LOT of alone time so I prioritize that above other things. One hour of silence can recharge me for a whole week of work and parenting. 

What fictional character do you relate to most and why?
I have little kids so can I just say Dora the Explorer? She’s curious, brave, but also seems to miss the obvious bad behaviors of that sneaky fox Swiper and keeps hanging out with him. That sounds like me.

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