[2] Early on, it was through sports that she learned to channel her anger and frustration, developing her passion and her taste for action and she quickly stood out by her talents, her performance and her physical abilities.

Often unemployed, or employed at minimum wage, she finished high school and spent her days in libraries where she discovered literature and the arts.

Through books, she developed a great interest in Europe, culture and travel, but her situation increased her feeling of helplessness and frustration.

One day, a friend brought her a newspaper ad, published by a Swiss family looking for a young woman from Quebec to take care of their children and clean their home for one year.

[4] Upon her return, she dove into lectures about mountaineering, met people from the field, attended conferences and, as soon as possible, joined an expedition to Europe's highest peak, Mount Elbrus, in Russia.

In alpine style, she reaches Camp 3 (7,300 m) but turns back because of the weather conditions and the large amounts of snow.

[3] In 2015, she made an attempt on K2 where she reached the altitude of 7,300 m. Due to the weather conditions and avalanche danger, she had to turn back.

[23][34][35] After reaching the summit she required a rescue; she descended and made an unexpected detour of several kilometers that forced her to climb a 300 m sub-summit before finding her way.

[8] The next day, she traversed the summit plateau (about 8 km) and returned to Prospector Col, where, recognizing a deteriorating situation due to weather forecasts, the physical effects of several days of fast ascent from Camp 3, equipment breakdowns and the post-traumatic memories of the tragic events that occurred on Rainier two years before,[36] she made the decision to contact Parks Canada emergency services and request an evacuation.

[38] Parks Canada then asked two other climbers who were on the mountain to assist Monique Richard so that she could descend to a lower altitude to be evacuated.

The helicopter company has since acquired a new aircraft with a higher operational altitude (an Airbus AS350-B3e Squirrel) which allows it to reach all the upper parts of Mount Logan.

[8] Europe * In 2011, she climbed Mont Blanc from the Are (1,760 m), without using the Mont-Blanc tramway to approach the Gare du Nid d'Aigle (2,372 m) ).

She herself was affected by advanced hypothermia but found the strength to descend to Camp Muir where she was assisted by a team of rescuers who were there for training exercises, then evacuated by a US Armed Forces helicopter.

[42] Monique Richard returned to Mount Rainier the following year to install a commemorative plaque near Camp Muir.

[7] For several years, Monique Richard has been presenting lectures to various audiences in community, school, college, university and corporate environments to share her passion and inspire people.

[8] Her conferences focus on the themes of motivation, surpassing oneself and self-confidence, the place of women and girls in society, her expeditions, including her solo climb on Mount Logan, health and safety, and on the awareness and the fight against bullying and violence towards children.

After her sister was diagnosed with this condition, Monique Richard collaborated with the Quebec Association of Fibromyalgia (now theSociété québécoise de la fibromyalgie) to raise public awareness about this syndrome which affects about 2 to 3% of the Canadian population.