Evergreen woman gives back to Alpine Rescue Team that saved her

Nearly a year after a dangerous climbing accident, Kelly Brown is now giving back to the volunteers who saved her. Next month, the Evergreen resident will not just be at the Alpine Rescue Team's major fundraiser, but she'll also be integral in its success.  

"It was like the stars were aligned," Brown said. "What a gift I can give them."

A longtime marathon runner and climber, Brown is sticking to bodyweight workouts and short jogs these days. It's an impressive feat considering the condition she was in earlier this year. 

"I started walking in February," Brown said while training at Conifer High School Saturday.  

Still, the light workouts are just the next step in her recovery. In August, she'll run a race for the first time since a life altering day 11 months and 3 surgeries ago.  

"I'm just starting over again, and you've got to start somewhere," Brown said.  

Last September, Brown and three friends were climbing Mount Bancroft when she misstepped and fell almost 30 feet. After calling for help, the Alpine Rescue Team came to her aide, spending 6 hours to get her down and to the hospital.  

"I wasn't getting out of there by myself for sure," she said.  

Brown didn't get out of the ordeal unscathed. She required multiple procedures and months of rehab for a major fracture on her right tibia.  

"From the day I fell, Sept. 5, until the day I got to bear weight again was Dec. 15," Brown said.

It was a long time to recover, but also an opportunity to reconnect with the team that who saved her. Her thank you gestures began with Christmas cookies, a poem and a donation, and now, months later, the career event planner is organizing the volunteer organization's first major fundraiser in two years.  

"We met her on a mission and now she is on a mission to help us," said technical specialist Tom Wood.  

In his 25 years on the team, Wood has saved countless people. Few have given back like this, he told CBS News Colorado.  

"When we cut a rope or break a vehicle it costs money. We really don't get much in the way or grants or stuff like that, so every donation we get is what keeps us going and helps us to help people," Wood said. "When we rescue someone and they come back and make an effort in a way that helps us out to do our jobs and to help the community, that's a win-win for everybody."  

With a month left, Brown is not just organizing the road race, she is planning to run in it. She calls it a full circle moment for everyone involved.

"I needed this to have a purpose. It couldn't just be I fell, and I got better," Brown said. "It's rescue, recovery, run, reward."  

The Evergreen Town Race will be held on Sunday, Aug. 7. There's a a 5K and a 10K. You can find more information on how to sign up or donate here.