How Martina Prepared for Kilimanjaro

Q: Do you typically hike alone or with friends?

A: I hike with people — and with a dog, of course, or two or three. Never alone. I work out alone a lot. I mean, I run and maybe bike alone — but hike? No. You always do that with a friend. Because you talk the whole time.

Q: Are you worried about any element of the hike?

A: Of course. About half the people who go don’t make it to the top. So there’s a possibility that will happen. But I’m a very reasonable and practical person. While I want to get to the top, I’ll certainly listen to the people who know better. My ego’s not going to get in the way up there.

Q: It’s the day after your birthday. Have you had a chance to reflect back on the last year and on your hopes for the coming year?

A: I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails and postings on Facebook from friends and other people, mostly from the tennis world. I wrote back to a bunch of friends and said I’m just hoping for a boring year next year. This past one was a little too eventful for me. [Having had breast cancer] gives you pause. It makes me even more determined to go off and climb the mountain because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s on my bucket list — and don’t delay that bucket list, you know?