Meghan Buchanan: Dyslexia, Determination, and the Seven Summits
Second-grade humiliation over spelling challenges was just the beginning of Meghan Buchanan’s remarkable journey. Diagnosed with dyslexia at seven, Meghan would go on to defy expectations—earning an aerospace engineering degree, climbing Mount Everest, and completing six of the Seven Summits. Her success is grounded in a philosophy she calls GGRIT: gratitude, growth, resilience, integrity, and tenacity.
Her journey, however, wasn’t without struggle. Dyslexia meant working harder than her peers, and for years, she hid her diagnosis from colleagues in the demanding aerospace industry. But Buchanan now proudly embraces her neurodivergence, a term describing conditions like dyslexia, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders. “Mountains helped me truly come fully into who I am as a neurodivergent,” she shared.
Neurodivergence: A Different Kind of Strength
Neurodivergent individuals process information differently, often requiring innovative approaches to challenges. Buchanan’s mother shaped her determination early on, insisting that Meghan’s potential was limitless with hard work.
This resolve carried her through a prestigious engineering degree and into roles with major companies like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. Despite her success, Buchanan often felt the weight of hiding her neurodivergence. Climbing South America’s Aconcagua at age 40 proved a turning point. “I’m tired of being ashamed of anything but who I am,” she said, starting to advocate for herself and others in her workplace.
Overcoming Physical and Mental Challenges
Her resilience was tested in 2011 when a skiing accident left her with a severely broken leg and a 14-inch titanium rod. Doctors doubted she would walk without a cane, but Buchanan refused to accept that outcome. Her recovery was complicated by unrelenting pain, and a hunch led her to demand the removal of the titanium rod—overruling medical skepticism.
This decision proved critical, enabling her to thrive once again. It was the foundation for her mountaineering ambitions, beginning with Kilimanjaro and culminating in Everest.
Conquering the Seven Summits with GGRIT
The Seven Summits—Earth’s highest peaks on each continent—represent the pinnacle of adventure. Buchanan has climbed six so far, carrying a banner declaring, “Dyslexia Gave Me GGRIT,” to each summit. Next spring, she aims to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam with a trek to the North Pole.
GGRIT embodies the values that define her journey. “Gratitude, growth, resilience, integrity, and tenacity aren’t just words,” she explains. “They’re tools that carried me through every mountain, failure, and comeback.”
Empowering Others Through Advocacy
Now a motivational speaker, Buchanan inspires neurodivergent individuals and beyond to embrace challenges as opportunities. In schools, she encourages students to accept failure as part of growth. “Say it with me: ‘I’m going to fail.’ Now say: ‘And I’m going to get back up,’” she tells them, fostering resilience and determination.
Her story isn’t just about climbing mountains—it’s about breaking barriers. “Choose to rise. Choose to get back up, again and again,” she says, underscoring the power of tenacity.
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