Professional ski mountaineer and climate activist Caroline Gleich announced Monday on her Instagram account she is running for the United States Senate.

The seat is currently being held by Sen. Mitt Romney, the former presidential candidate, who is vacating the seat and not looking for reelection in 2024. Gleich is looking to take the seat Romney has held since 2019.

“This morning at the Utah State Capitol, I officially declared my candidacy for the United States Senate seat in Utah,” Gleich said in her post. “As I start this climb towards the U.S. Senate, I carry with me the lessons learned from reaching mountain peaks and navigating life’s terrain. My commitment is unwavering — to empower, to protect, and to advocate for a brighter future.”

Utah, like Colorado, has one of the most active ski scenes in the country. It remains to be seen what kind of support, particularly campaign funding, Gleich will draw from the industry, which brings billions of dollars in economic impact to states like Colorado.

Gleich filed her paperwork with the lieutenant governor’s office to run as a Democrat.

Gleich is an outspoken climate activist and has been an Athlete Alliance member with the Protect Our Winters since 2011. She appeared in Washington D.C. in August 2023 to speak on behalf of the snowsports community at the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act.

She said she thinks of herself as being an underdog her whole life, with skeptics questioning her height, strength, and bravery for scaling the world’s tallest mountains, but wanted people to know she’s summited Everest and Cho Oyu — both 8,000 meter peaks.

“I’ve broken records and defied limits,” she said. “Running for the United States Senate to represent the people of Utah is undoubtedly an uphill climb, but I’m no stranger to overcoming challenges.”

Chances as a Democrat in Utah are slim, however, and the last Democrat to occupy the seat was Frank Moss, who was elected in 1958, who later lost a reelection campaign to Orrin Hatch in 1976.

Only one other Democrat, Archie Williams III, has filed to run for the open position along with Gleich.