Mount Mckinley Denali National Park Alaska

Now here’s an accomplishment: it’s the story of a blind “adventurer” named Erik Weihenmayer, who has done amazing things including reaching the top of Mount Everest and the world’s other highest mountains.

When you log on to Erik’s website, you read the following, which practically says it all:

“Turning Adversity To Advantage

“Erik Weihenmayer (born September 23, 1968) is the only blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on May 25, 2001. He was honored with a Time cover story. He also completed the Seven Summits [the highest mountain on each of the seven continents] in September 2002, joining 150 mountaineers at the time who had completed that feat, but the only climber who was blind. He is the author of Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man’s Journey to Climb Farther Than the Eye can See, his memoir;  and The Adversity Advantage, Turning Everyday Struggles into Everyday Greatness.

“As he was going blind from retinoschesis, Weihenmayer fought against using canes and learning Braille. He wanted to hang on to his life in the sighted world. He eventually turned to wrestling and became a prominent force in high school. He represented Connecticut in the National Junior Freestyle Wrestling Championship in Iowa. At age 16, he started using a guide dog. He tried rock climbing, and found he was a natural at scrambling up a face using his hands and feet to find holds. Then he attended Boston College and graduated with a double major in English and Communications. He became a middle-school teacher and wrestling coach at Phoenix Country Day School.

“His first big mountain was McKinley, Denali, in 1995. In 2004, with Sabriye Tenberken [co-founder of the organization Braille Without Borders] and six blind Tibetan teenagers, he climbed on the north side of Everest to 21,500 feet, higher than any group of blind people have ever stood. A documentary based on the project, Blindsight, was released in 2006.

“Meanwhile, he co-founded No Barriers USA, which helps those with special challenges to live active and purposeful lives: What’s Within Us Is Stronger Than What’s In Our Way! Injured soldiers are a major focus.

“In 2011, his 3-person team competed on ABC’s Expedition Impossible, a race across the deserts and mountains of Mororro [sic], finishing second. He has also completed the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race, at elevations above 10,000 feet, and Primal Quest, an adventure race over 460 miles with 60,000 feet of elevation gains. In September 2014, he will solo kayak the Grand Canyon,  277 miles from Lee’s Ferry to Pierce Ferry.

“Today, while still adventuring, he is a prominent worldwide speaker, on the topic of using adversity to advantage and living a ‘no barriers life’.”

Go to Erik’s official website for more information, including more on his current kayak expedition through the Grand Canyon (September 7 to 28, 2014).

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