Dierdre grew up in New York City in the 1940s and 50s and helped care for her mother who had polio. Going to high school opened her eyes to new possibilities, and she eventually moved to California after spending time in France and Japan. Dierdre's life took a big turn when she divorced her husband and started focusing on her own goals and dreams.
At 55, she began running, and has gone on to complete multiple marathons. At 59, she began rock climbing, and at 66, she became the oldest woman to climb Yosemite’s iconic El Capitan (with her son, Alex Honnold, of “Free Solo” fame).
In 2021, she celebrated her 70th birthday by climbing El Capitan again and camping on the summit.
At the end of 2023, the documentary about her life, “Climbing Into Life,” will be available to watch.
Climbing into Life is a feature-length documentary detailing the inspiring life story of Dierdre Wolownick-Honnold, the mother of Free Solo’s Alex Honnold.
This is the story of how she went from a completely consumed mother and professor, and ended up on the wall of El Capitan. From an unhappy wife and lonely mother to the status of athlete later in life, Dierdre confronts fear and ageism and gains a wonderful new community in the outdoors.
At age 71 Dierdre pushes back against the societal norms that assume her retirement years will be spent slowing down.
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Show notes
Social Media
Website: dierdrew.us
Instagram: @dierdre_wolownick_honnold
Book: The Sharp End of Life: A Mother's Story.