Laurie K. Combs Normandeau was the fifth child in a family of eight children. Born on September 14, 1961 in Glens Falls, she grew up in Hudson Falls. In high school, she was a member of Art Club, Pep Club, and Yearbook Staff and she lettered in Varsity Volleyball and Track and was most known for her painting of the Hudson Falls Tiger on the high school gymnasium floor. Upon graduation in 1979, she entered the US Army as a Still and Aerial Photographer.
After completing photography school at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, she was stationed in Ft. Meade, Maryland, where she was selected to be a photographer at the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan on January 20, 1981. She served two years as a US Army Recruiter in Glens Falls and was chosen as the Top RA Recruiter in the Army in 1982.
After successful completion of her military enlistment, she attended Keene State College and the University of Massachusetts earning an Associates of Science Degree in Physical Education where she ultimately found her greatest passion.
She completed as a World-Class professional Bodybuilder for six years with the WNBF, earning the title of Universe in 1997 and World in 2000. She served in the US Air Force at Barnes Air National Guard in Westfield, Massachusetts, as a Fitness Manager for pilots and enlisted members. Her article, the “Air Force Fitness Blast” was published in Men’s Health and Fitness magazine in 2001. She is an Outward Bound and NOLS Alumni and an Outdoor Recreation Specialist.
In 2003, she became a volunteer climber for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington. She was selected as a member of the “Climb to Fight Breast Cancer” Team and reached the summit of the 19,340 foot peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa, in 2004.
In 2006, she founded the Power of Seven project, where she is climbing the highest mountains on earth to raise funds and awareness to fight Cancer. To date, she has climbed over 77,000 vertical feet and raised over $75,000 dollars for Cancer Research. She has completed five of the famous “Seven Summits”, the tallest mountain on each continent, with plans to attempt Mt. Everest in 2014.
Laurie currently lives in Boulder, Colorado, where she teaches Rock-Climbing, Yoga and CrossFit in between her high-altitude training and expedition travels around the world. Her goal is to save lives through research and honor lives lost. She blogs her Power of Seven project on-line and invites everyone to follow the journey and support the cause. She is the mother of one daughter, Lauren B. DuBois of Springfield, Massachusetts.