Today I acknowledge Allie Pepper. From her beginnings as a Hazelbrook local to her student days at Katoomba High School and Blue Mountains TAFE, Allie has gone on to do remarkable things. As an alpine mountain guide and self-described "menopausal mountaineer", Allie has honed her skills over the past 25 years. During that time, Allie has summited five of the world's 8,000metre peaks without oxygen—more than any other Australian woman—and in 2011 she summited Mount Everest.  

Allie has dedicated her time to training others in climbing and guiding, and she is an incredible role model for women in the field. Allie took this even further when she became a strong voice in speaking out about her intense experience with perimenopause, divorce and depression, describing how it nearly brought her career to an end and how, through finding her right supports, she overcame and went on to feel stronger than ever. Allie's latest project is the 14 Peaks Challenge.  

Allie inspires us all, and I am in awe of her dedication, vulnerability and leadership, and her incredible drive to follow her dreams. Good on you, Allie!