We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Abby Boretto. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Abby below.

Abby, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

On Working on Meaningful Projects

When I think about meaningful projects, I realize I’ve dedicated my life to them — I wouldn’t have spent my time any other way. Over the past 25 years, I’ve raised my three beautiful children, shared countless adventures with my supportive husband, embraced philanthropy, volunteered in my community, and championed civic causes. I even blazed a trail as a silver-haired model and held the title of Mrs. California All-Star United States 2021.

But the most meaningful project of all began in 2021. A simple act of gratitude opened a door wider than I ever could have imagined. That door led me to meet a man connected to my past in ways I was only beginning to understand. This encounter unfolded into an extraordinary journey — one I eventually captured in my documentary film, The Ring and The Mountain.

This project became more than just a personal story. It grew into a mission of discovery, connection, and healing. And for that, I am profoundly grateful.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I never imagined I’d become a documentarian. But life has a way of leading us to places we never expected, and my film, The Ring and The Mountain is proof of that. It’s a story of discovery, resilience, and healing — a journey that bridges my father’s homeland with Norway, a fellow NATO ally.

My father, 1st Lieutenant Henry “Rick” Pilger, was a Naval Academy graduate and a Marine helicopter pilot. In September 1972, during NATO’s Operation Strong Express, he died in a tragic helicopter crash. I was just 15 months old. I never got to know him, but his absence left a void that I carried unknowingly for decades. Then, a twist of fate opened a door I didn’t know I needed.

In the mid-1990s, Dr. Hans Krogstad, an avid hunter in Norway, discovered a glimmering star-sapphire ring lodged between two rocks on Grytøya — a remote island deep inside the Arctic Circle. It was my father’s Naval Academy ring, somehow preserved through time and tragedy. Dr. Krogstad knew he had to return it to my family.

For years, I kept the ring close, marveling at this magical gift. But as I approached my 50th birthday, I felt an urgent need to thank the man who found it and to understand more about the father I had lost so young. That decision set me on an incredible journey.

I retraced my father’s life — his childhood, his time at Annapolis, his service with the Marines. I met his friends, his comrades, and those whose lives he touched in his short time on Earth. Eventually, my path led me to Grytøya, the rugged island where he died, and to Dr. Hans Krogstad.

In 2022, on the 50th anniversary of the crash, I traveled to Norway with my father’s ring around my neck. I climbed the very mountain where his life was cut short and dedicated a memorial plaque to him and his fellow Marines. Standing there, surrounded by the kindness of the Norwegian people, I felt a connection I never expected. “You are no longer friends,” I told them, “you are family.”

The Ring and The Mountain began as my personal story, but it grew into something much larger. It’s about meeting my father for the first time through the memories of those who knew him. It’s about daughters who lost their fathers, wives left widowed, and veterans carrying memories of war. Sharing my story helped others share theirs, and together, we’ve found healing.

This journey has connected hearts across borders and time — a reminder that love, loss, and resilience are universal.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

A Journey to the Edge of the Arctic — And the Heart

I’ve never been one to stay still for long. As my journey unfolded, I felt a deep pull to Norway — not just to meet the man who had unknowingly altered the course of my life decades ago, but to finally stand on the soil where my father lost his life so many years before. It’s easy enough to board a plane and go anywhere in the world, but this trip was more than a flight. It was a pilgrimage of the heart and a story that needed to be told.

I envisioned capturing this profound experience in a documentary, though I had no idea how to make that dream a reality. But serendipity has a way of finding you when you least expect it. A chance encounter led me to a director who, with his remarkable talent, not only agreed to bring my vision to life but helped navigate the labyrinth of logistics. In just 52 whirlwind days — a blink of time — we raced to prepare everything before the 50th anniversary of that fateful day.

From this rush of preparation, a team of seven dedicated souls emerged. We hadn’t met face-to-face, yet I trusted that fate had delivered the right people and the right tools for the task ahead. And so, we converged for the first time — in a hotel perched at the top of the world, 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle. There, against the stark, icy beauty, our journey began

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

A Mission of Connection, Healing, and Legacy

At first, my goal for this film was simple: to share the almost ghostly, spiritual discovery of my father’s ring. But as the journey unfolded, that mission deepened. What began as a personal quest to understand the man I’d never met — a father lost to war — turned into something much larger.

I met the people who knew him: childhood friends, high school classmates, comrades from the Naval Academy and the Marines. Through their memories, I saw how much impact one life, lived so briefly, could have. My story of a daughter meeting her father for the first time wasn’t just mine; it spoke to the hearts of many others.

Daughters who lost their fathers in Vietnam. Wives widowed with young children during one of the most stoic, unspoken times in our history. Veterans who came home carrying memories — some too painful to share. In telling my story, I found theirs reflected back. And in return, they shared their pain, their healing, and their hope with me.

This film became more than just a personal journey. It became a bridge of connection — a way for us to heal, together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Abbyboretto.com
• Instagram: AlwaysAB-FAB
• Facebook: Abby Wadsworth-Boretto
• Linkedin: Abby Boretto
• Youtube: The Ring and The Mountain, Abby Boretto, Short Stop 24

Image Credits

Brooke Preece photo credit
(Just 1st pic)