Athlete, mountaineer, river guide and mompreneuer.

I don't know Jill as well as I'd like, but I can vouch for her tenacity in a tough situation. I tried to make her drop on a 20 hour snow climb of Kiener's Route, but she stayed right on me to the bitter end. :) Good luck!

Vote for Jill! Jilly is your official North Pole marathoner! She is a proven fighter, and will finish the marathon in style, while creatively and precisely blogging every detail along the way.

Go Jilly!

You should vote for Jilly, she is CRAZY good and strong. Jill is tenacious and will crush it! Don't stand in her way!

Did she say she was a good cook too? Seriously, I believe that anything she puts her mind to, her body will follow in honorable pursuit. She's got the training to boot. I can't think of anyone more qualified and capable to accomplishing this goal.

Jill is one of the most driven woman I have ever meant. I have the privilege of watching her daughter from time to time and have seen Jill grow int an incredible athlete. She accomplishes every goal that she sets for herself and you will not find more driven woman than Jill! All of her activities have inspired me to really push myself to do more things as well!

Having known Jill for many years now both personally and professionally, I feel qualified to tell you that her tenacity, conviction, drive, intelligence, willingness to learn, enthusiasm to go the distance, dedication to her commitments, and her service to others is the real deal. She is the strongest women I know internally and externally. She takes what needs to be taken seriously,very serious and sprinkles it with compassion and humor. Jill is the first to lend a helping hand when one is needed even before being asked. She is an inspiration to me and my 19 year old daughter. Jill would be an asset to any organization that she had the privilege to represent.

It is simple, Jill is just one of the toughest out there, and she will not have any problem finishing the North Pole Marathon.

Hi Asgeir -

Maybe we can compare training notes? Thanks for your support.

Now it's time for the most important job....mommie! On to breakfast for my daughter and I, homework review, feeding the cats, and preludes to weekend fun.....will it snow???....maybe....stay-tuned. ~jilly

Hi Jill,

Though I have never met you, I have read of your adventures on 14erWorld.com. If anyone can reach the North Pole, you can!

Tim

Jill can do it! She's one tough mother!!! She's out there training continuously. I know her from 14erWorld.

If Jilly says she's going to do something, trust me, she will get it done. She is tenacious and determined and amazingly fit. While some folks (uh, like me) tend to decay in the physical department in their later years, Jilly seems to get stronger and stronger as time goes by. A vote for Jilly is a vote for a winner!

I've know Jilly for about a year and have had the pleasure to join her in various "crazy" outings. From the Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon to the Collegiate Peaks ultra marathon to hanging off into space on a mountain, the best part of doing things with her is she always has a smile on her face and a story to share. What she doesn't know is even though I've completed the Leadville 100, I have a hard time keeping up with her. Jilly is one amazing woman! The North Pole doesn't stand a chance.

There are so many reasons to select Jill Salva for the North Pole Marathon Contest. First, her athletic ability: Jilly is a trail runner. This is no happy little paved byway marathon. This marathon has uneven terrain, packed ice, and polar bears. This woman will run in snow shoes, trail shoes, whatever it takes to go. She is no stranger to being out in the elements, out in the wilderness. While there are some accomplished marathoners entered in this contest, I'd love to see one of those guys run for extended periods in snow shoes! This is the stuff Jilly thrives on.

Let us not forget the communication aspect. The successful candidate takes the helm of enviro-blogger. The original idea was to bring to the public venue the effects of global warming on the Arctic ecosystem. Jill downplayed her background in high-tech marketing. This background allows her to learn technical information and translate it for a broad audience. Her communication background is stellar. She is passionate about film and will most assuredly run the Arctic pathways with a camera strapped to her.

There is great potential here for media blogging not just on her physical training, but also on the greater scope of this project, to bring awareness to the plight of the northern latititudes. Jilly lives in Boulder, CO, with research offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US Geological Survey and the National Consortium for Atmospheric Research. Her pre-race blog can include interviews with scientists from these organizations who work with global warming issues. This contest isn't all about the athletic endeavor. It's also about the communication. Jilly has support in training, support in equipment, and support in scientific expertise for her North Pole Blog.

Marathons, ultra marathons and other activities performed in inclimate weather take more than just physical tenacity; there are mental and spiritual aspects to success required. Jill has the physical capabilities, but more importantly it is her strong connection with the energy of the universe that define her as the BEST choice to do the North Pole Challenge.

You rock, lady! I pray the Universe grants you this dream.

Martha Young

Morning – your POLAR PRINCESS here.

Tim, Sue, Tom, Steve, Dr Jo, Martha…….it means much to me that you took the time to lend your support for my trip to the North Pole. For it is WHOM we carry with us and WHAT our thoughts are, that form our reality. I am truly grateful to receive your kind and brilliant thoughts, energy, and love.

To view this Polar Princess….from back-in-the-day….go to:
http://s90.photobucket.com/albums/k248/jillywray/Halloween/?action=view&...

Being a huge fan of Helen Thayer……when I learned of this North Pole opportunity…. ….I went back to her book “Polar Dream” for inspiration. On page 87 it says…..

“Finally I pushed away thoughts of my family. This was no place to become homesick. I knew perfectly well that on a solo expedition such as this where I felt as if I was traveling through ‘Polar Bear City,’ downtown, at rush hour, I had to think only thoughts that were good for me. All others had to be ignored. With polar bears for company, crossing Polar Bear Pass and beyond to the pole, I reminded myself again that emotional control was essential to my survival.”

GLOBAL ADVENTURE
With just 13 days until my expedition to Ecuador, there are many things that need attention in my life and in my house. What to focus on? Emotional control? Parenting? Ecuador? Parenting? The North Pole? Parenting? Grocery shopping? Parenting?

THE POLAR PRINCESS LIST OF THE DAY
Focus on:
1. Training
2. Parenting

TRAINING
The ultra-runner’s workout guide says I should run 7 miles at “pace” today. Since I am a huge fan of cross training (aka crazy training) …..my workout may look like 90 minutes on the stair-blaster with a heavy load…..or a lung busting bike ride. My focus for the past month has been on “the breath” and it’s connection with the body-mind-spirit.

PARENTING
Today – this looks like:
Encouraging a budding herbalist
Listening to beautifully crafted poems
Eating homemade spaghetti for breakfast
Sewing a red velvet medieval cape, complete with a hood

NORTH POLE
How cold is cold? After it gets to be zero degrees, can one really tell it’s colder than that? After zero degrees doesn’t the coldness just go into the category “butt-cold”?

Polar Princess ….. over and out.

Please see my blog:
http://www.yourrunning.com/blog-polar_princess_a_day_in_the_life

Jill will make a great addition to the North Pole Marathon team! I met Jill a couple of years ago at a climbing class with the Colorado Mountain Club. We've climbed together on both CMC and non-CMC trips since then. When Jill sets her mind to do something, she can do it! She has a wonderful sense of adventure, perfect for this event!

I can say that I have the inside scoop on Jill (aka Jilly) She is my SISTER! I know how tough she is because I grew up with her. I always admire her drive and positive approach to everything. She does some pretty amazing things, and I think this will be another one of them.

So spread the word, or her little sister will pester you :-P

This is Alison Salva - Jilly's daughter.

Jill is fantastic at climbing, I support her every move, I love her to the ends of the earth, she is very focused, she is excellent at guiding and finding the trails when she is lost. For example, when we went off the snowshoeing trail, I thought the trail was one way and she thought the trail was another. We followed in her direction and we got back to the trail.

I think she deserves this...alot....she caught on very fast at snowboarding, she is an excellent climber, and she has done many mountain runs and mountain linkups in remote places in harsh weather.

She hikes alot and she LOVES it! She works out almost everyday in her free time, She has guided on the river. I have been on two of those guiding experiences.

She is a wonderful mom - uber mom - if she gets to go, she'll watch the calendar every day, she'll be so excited, she'll be full of energy and ready to go, she'll try and make other people happy - cause that's what she does best.

Pick my mom....it would mean so much to her family and friends and especially her.

You should vote for Jill. She is an inspiration to me in so many ways, and I know she can be an inspiration to everyone else. She is determined, dedicated and strong willed. When it comes to endurance, and going big, no one even comes close to touching Jill.

I have met Jill once - she impressed me with her single mindedness, enthusiasm and focus for any task that she undertakes. She glows in a way that few people I have met do - a mixture of self assurance and physical fitness. From this and the comments from the other people on this site, I have no doubt that she will be a great competitor for this event and thoroughly deserves to have a place.

Wish you all the luck in the world Jill - go for it and come back and tell us all about it!

Your in spirit and wonder

Terry Chiplin

I think Jilly is a great candidate to consider for this adventure! Although I haven't known her for long she seems very focused and dedicated. This makes me think back to a time I was guiding Long's Peak and reached the summit with my client very early on a extremely cold morning. I noticed somebody walking down towards me all alone, thinking just before this that we would be first on the summit. Lo and behold it was my new coworker Jilly! I asked her what she was doing up there and she told me that she woke up in the middle of the night and decided to go climb Long's Peak. She is a true competitor and obviously knows how to motivate!

Steve Johnson

GO JILLY! WOW! This is exciting. I am so sure you can do this.
I've known Jill for a few years now and can say she is a true athlete- an uber athlete- committed to her mind, body, and personal development. Jill is a mountain of strength, joy, and exuberance. She is spirtually guided and super strong- a powerhouse! As she races in the North Pole marathon, Jill will be in her element - running, trekking, snow shoeing, following her inner guidance, and fending off Polar Bears. Certainly, if anyone can do this, Jilly can. Go Jilly! You rock!
All the Best,
Tara

It looks like Jill's athletic qualifications have received due praise so I will touch on her other qualifications. Jill will do everything necessary to make this endeavor a success. It would be a personal affront for her to even contemplate failure. Her pride in performance is evident in how she lives her life and conducts her work. Jill is open, forthright, caring and conscientious. She empathizes with others, does the right thing (even if it causes her grief) and has a giving nature that draws others to her. She is a gifted communicator, able to impart unfamiliar concepts in easily understood terms (one source of her marketing success). She is also a storyteller that draws in her listeners, making them part of the tale. You are lucky to have her want to be a part of this.

Hey Jilly is HARDCORE!!!!!!!!

As a new climber Jilly has been an inspiration! Always ready to offer advice and answer any & all questions whether rock or ice climbing. I saw her working out on the treadmill at the gym wearing a backpack and hiking boots! Jilly you are IT!GO JILLY!

Vote for Jilly!
I’ve know Jill Salva from 14erWorld for a few years now, and we have hiked together a few times. Jilly is a hard-core amateur athlete, who is friendly, energetic, and excels at all of the sports/activities that I know she is involved in: hiking, speed-walking, trail-running, climbing, & mountaineering.
I have no doubt that she will finish the North Pole event and that she will do it in style.
Go Jilly!

If Jill says she will do something, consider it done. She is dedicated, strong, motivated, active, and intelligent. I met Jill years ago when our teams were merged during reorganization at a large company. From the beginning I was impressed with Jill's skills, knowledge, convictions, capabilities and even moral fiber. A year later we supported one another during layoffs, breakups, and as general chaos ruled Jill remained calm and determined. Jill WILL make it to the pole!

The North Pole Marathon is exactly the kind of challenge that would showcase Jill's matchless drive and enthusiasm. If anyone can crank through the North Pole Marathon it's Jill. I know she would love to do it, and radiate her enjoyment of the event, especially since it sounds like a challenging adventure! Jill is the woman!