On May 25, 2001, Erik
Weihenmayer became the first blind man in history to reach the summit
of the world's highest peak - Mount Everest. And on September 5, 2002,
when he stood on top of Mt. Kosciusko in Australia, Weihenmayer completed
his 7-year quest to climb the Seven Summits - the highest mountains
on each of the seven continents, joining only 100 mountaineers who have
accomplished that feat. At age 33, he was also one of the youngest.
Additionally, he has scaled El Capitan, a 3300-foot overhanging rock
wall in Yosemite; and Polar Circus, a 3000-foot ice waterfall in The
Canadian Rockies.
In September, 2003, Erik joined 320 stellar athletes from 17 countries
to compete in the Primal Quest, the richest and toughest multi-sport
adventure race in the world: 457 miles through the Sierra Nevadas, nine
days, and no time-outs. Averaging only two hours of sleep a night, Erik
and his team, No Boundaries, surged past the finish line on Lake Tahoe,
becoming one of the 42 teams to cross the finish line out of the 80
teams that began. The following January, Erik's team was featured on
an ABC two-hour Primal Quest special.
After Erik's Mt. Everest ascent, a school for the blind in Tibet invited
him to teach its students mountaineering and rock climbing. His many
climbs gave the teenagers the courage to excel in a culture which affords
few opportunities for the blind. Erik and six Everest team members went
to Tibet in May 2004 to train the students, then in October led them
on a climb to the Rombuk Glacier on the north side of Mt. Everest. Ultimately,
the teenagers stood together at 21,000 ft., higher than any blind person
has ever stood, except Erik. Steven Haft, producer of such blockbusters
as Dead Poets' Society, is making a documentary on the ascent to be
released theatrically in Spring 2006. This climb will go a long way
toward changing the mindset regarding disabled people throughout the
Third World and beyond.
A former middle school teacher and wrestling coach, Erik is one of the
most exciting and well-known athletes in the world. Despite losing his
vision at the age of 13, Erik has become an accomplished mountain climber,
paraglider, and skier, who has never let his blindness interfere with
his passion for an exhilarating and fulfilling life. Erik's feats have
earned him an ESPY award, recognition by Time Magazine for one of the
greatest sporting achievements of 2001, induction into the National
Wrestling Hall of Fame, an ARETE Award for the superlative athletic
performance of the year, the Helen Keller Lifetime Achievement award,
and the Freedom Foundation's Free Spirit Award. He has also carried
the Olympic Torch for both the Summer and Winter Games.
In addition to being a world-class athlete, Erik is also the author
of the book, Touch the Top of the World. In this memoir, Erik recalls
his struggle to push past the limits of vision loss. According to Publisher's
Weekly, Erik's memoir is "moving and adventure packed, Weihenmayer
tells his extraordinary story with humor, honesty and vivid detail,
and his fortitude and enthusiasm are deeply inspiring.". Erik has
also been published in Time, Forbes, Reader's Digest, Outside, Climbing
Magazine, and Chicken Soup.
Erik's extraordinary accomplishments have gained him abundant press
coverage including repeated visits to NBC's Today Show and Nightly News
with Tom Brokaw, Oprah, Good Morning America, and the Tonight Show to
name a few. He has also been featured on the cover of Time magazine
and in Sports Illustrated, People, and Men's Journal. A movie on his
life is now underway.
Erik's award winning film, Farther Than the Eye Can See, shot in the
same stunning quality HDTV format as the 'Star Wars' prequels, is an
intimate look inside one of the most successful Mount Everest expeditions
ever. Bringing home first prize at 17 film festivals and nominated for
two Emmy's, the film beautifully captures the emotion, humor and drama
of Erik Weihenmayer's historic ascent as well as his team's four other
remarkable 'firsts': the first American father/son team to summit, the
oldest man to summit, the first High Definition film footage shot on
the summit of Everest, and the most people from one team to reach the
top of Everest in a single day. Farther Than the Eye Can See is currently
being screened by film festivals, schools, colleges, corporations and
special fundraising events for nonprofit organizations. To date, the
film has raised approximately $600,000 for charitable organizations.
Erik speaks to audiences around the world on overcoming life's challenges,
the importance of teamwork, and the daily struggle to pursue your dreams.
Clearly, Erik's accomplishments show that one does not have to have
perfect eyesight to have extraordinary vision. A partial list of his
corporate clients includes Google, Bank of America, General Mills, Proctor
and Gamble, Walmart, Cisco Systems, Computer Associates, IBM, AT&T,
General Electric, America On-line, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley and Paine
Webber. Erik has shared the speaking platform with notables like President
George Bush, Mayor Rudy Guiliani, General Norman Schwarzkopf, and authors
Tom Peters and Stephen Covey. |
