Peak Performance

Kevin Donovan
AGE: 54
OCCUPATION: Data center manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
24 HOUR FITNESS LOCATION: Lakewood, Colorado

THE PLAN: Donovan summited his first Colorado 14’er peak in September 2000, his first year climbing. Afterward he thought, one down, 53 to go.

By 2003, he climbed 22 on the Colorado list, including 15 summits in a 10-day period. These back-to-back climbs gave him the confidence for even bolder expeditions, taking him close to the ultimate top-of-the-world moment in 2005 when he made an attempt on the 29,035-foot Mount Everest. Unfortunately, the summit snaked him due to a high altitude inflammation in his lungs that got so bad he broke ribs in a coughing fit.

After taking some Everest recoup time, he found himself gearing for more 14’ers each year. While it may seem that a climber ready for the highest mountain in the world would no longer bat an eye at a half-scale peak, his checklist left all the most technical and remote terrain in the Colorado Rockies for the end. He needed to train just as hard if not harder for his next climbing seasons.

THE OBSTACLE: While Donovan already logged plenty of gym hours wearing a weighted backpack and hiking boots on the StairMaster and probably could out lap any other member in the gym in walking lunges (he can do up to 200), his body had fallen accustomed to the same regimented exercises. He stayed strong but wasn’t getting stronger. “I was in a fitness rut and wanted different exercises to add into what I already had,” Donovan said. “It was time to re-up my conditioning.”

THE SOLUTION: Donovan met with trainer Kris Kelley at a 24 Hour Fitness club in Dallas Texas in 2005 (coincidentally, both Donovan and Kelley have since moved to the Denver area and stay in contact). Kelley, now a fitness manager at the Aurora, Colorado 24 Hour Fitness Sport club, doubled the list of exercise options in Donovan’s strength-training repertoire. Kelley helped Donovan keep a focus on core strength, including crossover crunches, reverse crunches on a stability ball, and hanging leg raises. “The core is the foundation and he’s built a strong natural weight belt for back and side support during climbs,” Kelley says. 

For Donovan’s shoulders, Kelley incorporated in rotational exercises in addition to shoulder strength moves to increase Donovan’s range of motion and to eventually alleviate pain from a past rotator cuff injury. He also helped Donovan continue to add plyometric power moves to help him launch across rocks. “The directional changes, dynamic movements, jumps, and landings have certainly given me better balance,” Donovan says. “Jumping down from one big boulder to another I used to be more cautious. Now I’m confident I can land properly.”

On July 2, 2007, Donovan completed his last 14’er on top of Capitol Peak. This year he’s already set a new goal: transition to ski mountaineering and ski at least one peak every month for a year.

Find out more about Donovan’s climbs and read about other amazing members at 12millionlives.com.