“I always think that our advocacy and activism is the strongest when it starts from a place of joy and from love.” These are the words of local Utahn Caroline Gleich, an advocate for climate reform and environmental justice running for the United States Senate in 2024.
Gleich grew up in Minnesota before moving to Utah at the young age of 15. “I had this dream of becoming a professional skier and using that platform to make a difference for people and the planet,” Gleich says.
Through various jobs and savings, she consistently got into backcountry skiing. She eventually became the first woman to climb and ski all 90 routes of the shooting gallery. From this, she began to expand her skills in the Alps, Andes, and Himalayas. In 2019, she went on to climb Mt. Everest without an ACL. Along these challenging expeditions, Gleich uses this strong mindset with not only her passions but also politics.
Gleich got her start working for the governor of Utah’s environmental advisor and has worked on policy at the local, state, and federal levels.
“Democracy really only works if people participate,” Gleich said. Gleich was seeking to fill Senator Romney’s spot when he announced his retirement. Romney called for the next generation to serve in these important positions, and Gleich immediately felt called to fill this important role, as politics will heavily affect our future as the younger generation.
She talks about how every choice our elected officials make will drastically affect every one of us, regardless of our political opinions or age.
When asked how Gleich started her involvement with the environmental community at a young age, she explains the multiple clubs, conservancies, and organizations that gave her the push she needed to reach where she is today.
“I acknowledge not everybody has the resources to go and be able to partake in outdoor recreation, but if you can go see it and go for a hike or go go get out on a sailboat, or a stand up paddle board, I think that when you experience the beauty and the love of a place, you become a better advocate for defending it”, Gleich says.
Gleich’s main concerns about the country include living costs, the health care crisis, weapon reform, reproductive freedom, public land protection, gerrymandering, homelessness, and the overall climate cataclysm. Despite her loss in the 2024 Senate Election to Rep. John Curtis, Gleich remains hopeful for our world’s wake-up call.
“Whether it’s running for a seat like US Senate, or climbing the highest mountains in the world, they bring something out of us that we never knew we had”, says Gleich.
