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Home base Los Angeles
Day job A director at a residential development firm
Why she's an Action Figure Ain't no mountain high enough for Miranda, who will try to climb the Seven Summits--the tallest peaks (there are actually eight) on each of the seven continents--over the next few years to raise $2.2 million ($50 per meter) for victims of violence in Africa.
Uphill battle
"Last year I came across an article about Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Later, I learned that in some Congolese villages, two-thirds of the women and girls--from babies to grandmas--have been raped, and 80 percent of the population of northern Uganda has been displaced by a two-decade-long civil war. I approached the International Medical Corps, a global relief organization, with the idea of a personal fundraising climb to support violence prevention and treatment programs for women and kids in these countries. I'd wanted to take on the Seven Summits since I started climbing in 2005; now I had the perfect reason. I signed on with an expedition company to guide me up--though as mountaineers say, 'Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.'"
Altitude change
"At first, my parents were concerned for my safety, but when they heard me speak at an IMC campaign this past March and saw photos of the crisis in Uganda, they realized my goal was bigger than just the climbs. Now my dad wants to hike Kilimanjaro with me."
Peak performance
"Months before tackling the first of the eight climbs--Russia's 18,510-foot Mount Elbrus--in July, I worked my ass off training six days a week. Most days, I did an hour of cardio plus strength training. Weekends were for practice hikes. Wearing a weighted backpack filled with water bottles, I'd cover up to 12 miles a day. I've also been getting myself mentally ready. My motto: Do your best. Do it safely. Don't give up."
