Who is Meghan Buchanan? ‘Outlast’ Season 2 star defies stereotypes in engineering and mountaineering
VAIL, COLORADO: A fresh group of adventurers will answer the call of the wild in Season 2 of 'Outlast', armed with multi-tools, a passion for adventure, and squirrel meat in their tummies (if they're lucky). When rocket scientist and adventure athlete Meghan Buchanan appears in the Netflix trailer, it’s clear she’s a competitor to watch.
Meghan is committed to helping her team conquer this challenge. With experience in harsh conditions and skills in building shelters, catching fish, and starting fires, she’s well-equipped to tackle the obstacles ahead.
Meghan Buchanan's mountain climbing skills to bring a new feat to 'Outlast' Season 2 challenges
Meghan has climbed seven peaks, including Mount Everest, driven by her mission to raise awareness about dyslexia and learning impairments. Her achievements are truly remarkable.
A native of Vail Valley, Colorado, Meghan is an adventure athlete with experience braving harsh weather in Antarctica. As a result, the new 'Outlast' cast member may find the Alaskan environment more pleasant. Skilled in fishing and building shelters, the rocket scientist enjoys hiking, Nordic skiing, and other activities that push her beyond her comfort zone.
What does 'Outlast' Season 2 star Meghan Buchanan do for work?
Meghan is a keynote speaker, an adventure athlete, a neurodivergent, and an aerospace engineer. She works full-time as a senior principal engineer and holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Colorado.
'Outlast' Season 2 star Meghan Buchanan climbing new feats daily despite challenges
Her goal is to become the first American woman to accomplish the Adventurers Grand Slam, which entails scaling all seven summits on the globe and going solo to both the North and South Poles.
Meghan is no stranger to facing challenges head-on and triumphing over obstacles. Meghan encountered difficulties at a young age; by the age of seven, her family discovered she was dyslexic. Determined to defy discrimination and misconceptions, she pursued a career as a female engineer despite her learning disabilities. As a child, Meghan often hiked across Colorado with her father, finding solace and acceptance in the natural world. In 2005, they took on their first major climb together, scaling Mount Kilimanjaro.
In 2011, Meghan had a near-fatal snowboarding accident in the back bowls of Vail that severely broke her femur, almost taking away her love of the great outdoors. After learning that she might need a cane for the rest of her life, Meghan set a goal in 2013 to climb Kilimanjaro again and regain her mobility. She soon aimed even higher, setting her sights on conquering the North and South Poles, as well as the remaining summits.
She pledged to use her GGRIT tools to further her knowledge and expertise, lead by example, and demonstrate that the seemingly impossible is indeed achievable. Meghan became the first rocket scientist to reach all seven summits (bass version) when she ascended Mount Everest in May 2022.
She plans to complete the second version of the Seven Summits (Messner) in October 2024. Then, in April 2025, she aims to achieve the Last Degree Ski to the North Pole, making history as the fifth American woman to accomplish the Explorers Grand Slam. Meghan uses her climbing achievements to advocate for neurodiversity and dyslexia. She works tirelessly to change both the self-perception of individuals with learning differences and society's view of them.
Watch Meghan Buchanan achieve new heights when Netflix drops 'Outlast' Season 2 on September 4.