Erik Weihenmayer
"I think this is the best time in history, the most precious time in history to be a pioneer, to reach out, to seize hold of adversity and challenges we face, to harness energy not only to transform our own lives, but to elevate the world around us." Erik Weihenmayer
On May 25th, 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the only blind man in history to reach the summit of the world's highest peak - Mount Everest. And on August 26th of 2008, when he stood on top of Carstensz Pyramid, in Papua New Guinea, Weihenmayer completed his 12-year quest to climb the Seven Summits - the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, joining only 150 mountaineers who have accomplished that feat. Additionally, he has scaled El Capitan, a 3,300-foot overhanging rock wall in Yosemite; Losar, a 2,600-foot vertical ice waterfall in the Mt. Everest region of the Himalayas; and a difficult and rarely climbed rock face on 17,000-foot Mt. Kenya. He has also completed the most brutal adventure race in the world: Primal Quest 460 miles in 9 days, no time outs. This past October, Erik, along with his Everest teammates, led a group of soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan to the summit of Lobuche, a 20,000 foot peak in Nepal to give back to America's heroes and show what is possible despite adversity.
A Leading Authorities exclusive speaker, Weihenmayer is one of the most inspiring, engaging, and sought after speakers in the world. He sees every new challenge as an opportunity to problem solve, strategize, and create a new way forward. Citing stories from his thrilling journeys, Erik's presentations embrace a passion for discovery and innovation. He believes in being a pioneer, of making the impossible possible, and opening up a new world of opportunity for yourself, your organization, and your team. Erik's accomplishments show that one does not have to have perfect eyesight to have extraordinary vision.
World-class. 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, he 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, Nike's Casey Martin 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 two books. Touch the Top of the World has been published in ten countries and six languages. The Adversity Advantage: Turning Everyday Struggles Into Everyday Greatness was co-authored with business guru and best-selling author, Dr. Paul Stoltz. The book shares seven "summits" for harnessing the power of adversity and turning it into the never-ending fuel to growth and innovation. Steven Covey, author of the best-selling business book of all time, wrote the foreword. Erik has also been published in Time, Forbes, and Reader's Digest.
Erik's extraordinary accomplishments have gained him abundant press coverage including repeated visits to NBC's Today Show and Nightly News, Oprah, Good Morning America, Night Line, and the Tonight Show to name a few. He has also been featured on the cover of Time, Outside, and Climbing Magazine.
Redefining Perceptions. After Erik's Mt. Everest ascent, Braille Without Borders, a school for the blind in Tibet, invited him to teach its students mountaineering and rock climbing. Erik and six Everest team members went to Tibet in May 2004 to train the students, and then in October led them on a climb to the Rombuk Glacier on the north side of Mt. Everest. Once seen as pariahs, the teenagers ultimately stood together at 21,500-feet, higher than any team of blind people in history. The amazing journey was chronicled in the documentary, Blindsight, which opened to standing ovations at the Toronto, L.A., and London Film Festivals. In addition, Erik's award winning film, Farther Than the Eye Can See, was ranked in the top twenty adventure films of all time by Men's Journal. The film brought home first prize at 20 film festivals and was nominated for two Emmys.
In 1999, Erik joined Mark Wellman - the first paraplegic to climb the 3,000-foot face of El Capitan, and Hugh Herr - a double-leg-amputee and scientist at MIT's prestigious prosthetics laboratory, to climb an 800-foot rock tower in Moab, Utah. As a result of their successful climb together, the three formed No Barriers, a non-profit organization with a goal of promoting innovative ideas, approaches, and assistive technologies which help people with disabilities push through their own personal barriers to live full and active lives. Erik also serves as a National Braille Literacy Champion on behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind.
"I think this is the best time in history, the most precious time in history to be a pioneer, to reach out, to seize hold of adversity and challenges we face, to harness energy not only to transform our own lives, but to elevate the world around us." Erik Weihenmayer
On May 25th, 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the only blind man in history to reach the summit of the world's highest peak - Mount Everest. And on August 26th of 2008, when he stood on top of Carstensz Pyramid, in Papua New Guinea, Weihenmayer completed his 12-year quest to climb the Seven Summits - the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, joining only 150 mountaineers who have accomplished that feat. Additionally, he has scaled El Capitan, a 3,300-foot overhanging rock wall in Yosemite; Losar, a 2,600-foot vertical ice waterfall in the Mt. Everest region of the Himalayas; and a difficult and rarely climbed rock face on 17,000-foot Mt. Kenya. He has also completed the most brutal adventure race in the world: Primal Quest 460 miles in 9 days, no time outs. This past October, Erik, along with his Everest teammates, led a group of soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan to the summit of Lobuche, a 20,000 foot peak in Nepal to give back to America's heroes and show what is possible despite adversity.
A Leading Authorities exclusive speaker, Weihenmayer is one of the most inspiring, engaging, and sought after speakers in the world. He sees every new challenge as an opportunity to problem solve, strategize, and create a new way forward. Citing stories from his thrilling journeys, Erik's presentations embrace a passion for discovery and innovation. He believes in being a pioneer, of making the impossible possible, and opening up a new world of opportunity for yourself, your organization, and your team. Erik's accomplishments show that one does not have to have perfect eyesight to have extraordinary vision.
World-class. 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, he 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, Nike's Casey Martin 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 two books. Touch the Top of the World has been published in ten countries and six languages. The Adversity Advantage: Turning Everyday Struggles Into Everyday Greatness was co-authored with business guru and best-selling author, Dr. Paul Stoltz. The book shares seven "summits" for harnessing the power of adversity and turning it into the never-ending fuel to growth and innovation. Steven Covey, author of the best-selling business book of all time, wrote the foreword. Erik has also been published in Time, Forbes, and Reader's Digest.
Erik's extraordinary accomplishments have gained him abundant press coverage including repeated visits to NBC's Today Show and Nightly News, Oprah, Good Morning America, Night Line, and the Tonight Show to name a few. He has also been featured on the cover of Time, Outside, and Climbing Magazine.
Redefining Perceptions. After Erik's Mt. Everest ascent, Braille Without Borders, a school for the blind in Tibet, invited him to teach its students mountaineering and rock climbing. Erik and six Everest team members went to Tibet in May 2004 to train the students, and then in October led them on a climb to the Rombuk Glacier on the north side of Mt. Everest. Once seen as pariahs, the teenagers ultimately stood together at 21,500-feet, higher than any team of blind people in history. The amazing journey was chronicled in the documentary, Blindsight, which opened to standing ovations at the Toronto, L.A., and London Film Festivals. In addition, Erik's award winning film, Farther Than the Eye Can See, was ranked in the top twenty adventure films of all time by Men's Journal. The film brought home first prize at 20 film festivals and was nominated for two Emmys.
In 1999, Erik joined Mark Wellman - the first paraplegic to climb the 3,000-foot face of El Capitan, and Hugh Herr - a double-leg-amputee and scientist at MIT's prestigious prosthetics laboratory, to climb an 800-foot rock tower in Moab, Utah. As a result of their successful climb together, the three formed No Barriers, a non-profit organization with a goal of promoting innovative ideas, approaches, and assistive technologies which help people with disabilities push through their own personal barriers to live full and active lives. Erik also serves as a National Braille Literacy Champion on behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind.
