Blind Climber Who Scaled Everest Helps Others Shatter Barriers
DENVER (CBS4) - Sir Edmund Hillary did what many people thought impossible -- he conquered Mount Everest. Since then more than 4,500 people have reached the summit and more than 200 died trying.
Now imagine not being able to see what you're climbing. Being at 29,000 feet above sea level -- literally on top of the world -- and it does no good to look down.
Ten years ago Erik Weihenmayer became the first and only blind man to scale Everest. He didn't need to see it -- he felt it -- he lived it. He introduced people to a world with no barriers.
Weihenmayer is also a skydiver and marathon runner. Believe it or not, his inspiration for all he's accomplished came from watching TV.
"When I was going blind I could still see a tiny bit out of my right eye. I was watching a show with my face pressed up to the screen. I was watching a show called 'That's Incredible,'" Weihenmayer said. "They were featuring a guy named Terry Fox. He was a Canadian who lost a leg to cancer, and he decided he was going to run across Canada."
Weihenmayer said he was blown away because in the early 1980s, nobody with disabilities was doing that type of thing. He was impressed because instead of laying down, Fox went on the attack.
"I think I made kind of a subconscious decision at that point; I was going to attack as well."
Weihenmayer has been attacking ever since, and taking others on his journeys. He led eight injured soldiers to the summit on the peak next to Everest in October. A week ago he led another group of abled and disabled people on a climb of a Coloardo 14er, Mount Quandary near Frisco.
Weihenmayer believes the key to succeeding is turning a negative into a positive.
"If I hadn't lost my sight I'd be an accountant, probably, like working in a cubical," he said. "I think anything can be an advantage. That's the way life is. You've got to be able to make anything into an advantage."
He said since he can't see the mountain, maybe he doesn't get as intimidated as somebody who can.
"I can't look down in-between my legs and see a massive drop-off."
Among those who climbed Mount Quandary last week with Weihenmayer was Jordan Romero. Now at the ripe old age of 14 years old, Romero became the youngest person to ever climb Everest when he reached the summit last May.
"That feeling; you just can't replicate it at all. When we were up there it was just a huge feeling of accomplishment," Romero said. "With 'No Barriers' here that Eric created -- you know, he had his barrier because he was blind climbing Mount Everest. I had my own barrier, and it was age. We both broke that barrier."
For Weihenmayer's next project, he's organized the No Barriers Summit in Winter Park June 30 through July 3.
"We started this non-profit to help people with challenges," Weihenmayer said. "Again, that's most people, not just people in wheelchairs or blind people."
Weihenmayer said No Barriers shows people new ideas, new approaches and new technologies.
"Some of them are like science fiction, you know, these amazing technologies that are coming around and helping people shatter barriers," Weihenmayer said.
No Barriers brings together hundreds of inventors, artists and technologists from around the country. Most of them have disabilities.
"Their whole aim is to showcase and demonstrate in an active way all these amazing ideas and technologies."
It was May 25, 2001, when Weihenmayer made that historic climb. And with the help of No Barriers he's hoping it won't be long before another person with another disability does the same.
LINK: No Barriers
