Erik Weiyenmayer - My IDOL !!!

I am not sure whether the name "Erik Weiyenmayer" has struck you a familiar feeling. Anyway I have a book "Touch the Top of the World" which gathered thin layer of dust and I bought this book 3 years ago from the Times bookshop. Yeah, I am guilty for not giving this legendary blind climber a good face as I have not finished reading this inspiring book. To give a little introduction of Erik Weiyenmayer, he is the first blind climber who completed the summit of Mount Everest and his biggest quest to conquer Seven Summit (highest summit in each continent).

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.