I've picked a climb!
On July 17th 2011 I will start a 5 day trek into the Wind River Mountain Range to summit the Wyoming high point: Gannett Peak.
Almost one year ago I entered the Champion "What's Your Everest?" contest. Their question was, "What would you overcome if you had the means?" While I have lots of issues (we all know this) I chose to address my fear of heights. Climbing can be expensive, and east coast is a bit "low" compared to the mountains you find out west. I'd use the prize money to give myself opportunities to overcome my fear through exposure and training. Through Twitter I heard about an organization called Summit for Someone. #cuemusic It was perfect.
On July 17th 2011 I will start a 5 day trek into the Wind River Mountain Range to summit the Wyoming high point: Gannett Peak.
Almost one year ago I entered the Champion "What's Your Everest?" contest. Their question was, "What would you overcome if you had the means?" While I have lots of issues (we all know this) I chose to address my fear of heights. Climbing can be expensive, and east coast is a bit "low" compared to the mountains you find out west. I'd use the prize money to give myself opportunities to overcome my fear through exposure and training. Through Twitter I heard about an organization called Summit for Someone. #cuemusic It was perfect.
Summit for Someone arranges guided climbs for groups of people who raise funds for their sister organization: Big City Mountaineers. BCM takes urban kids out on week long outdoor adventures where they learn to rely on themselves and their team as they trek the wilderness.
As I said in my donor letter: "How awesome is that? In my time climbing and exploring the outdoors I’ve learned more about myself than I’ve ever imagined. For some of these BCM kids this will be their first experience living off the grid, learning to trust themselves and their team members, pushing themselves to the limit mentally and physically. Their trip has the potential to change their lives, to give them the confidence to take charge of their futures and make the tough choice to leave home for college, or resist peer pressure. I’m so excited I get to be a part of that process." With Summit for Someone and BCM my two passions collide - I get to climb, and I get to give back to the kids I love teaching so much.
I won the contest, and over the last 10 months I've been making huge leaps of progress towards becoming the strong confident climber I want to be. Between Colorado, Wyoming, New York, and soon California, I've seen my self improve - something I never thought would happen. Now the next stage has finally come: committing to a Summit for Someone climb.
Gannett peak is epic. It's a 40 mile round trip, 5 day adventure. I chose it for it's remoteness. I want to really have a chance to BE in the wild. I'm not gonna lie - I'm a little nervous, especially since I'm not THAT in shape or THAT keen on training. But what kind of adventure would it be if I was sure I could do it? Go big or go home I say.
So here is my request: Donate.
Yes I won enough money to cover the cost, but after taxes it's substantially less. They money I won is a blessing, but it's faceless. I'm going to need the support of REAL PEOPLE counting on me, giving me strength to reach the top. My goal is to raise $1,000 ABOVE the minimum commitment of $4,500. So take a second and check out my donation page. $10 would be lovely, $50 would be awesome - and also gets your a copy of the movie I'm going to make documenting how cranky I get when I'm sore, and how much chocolate I'm going to eat at altitude. You'll also get regular updates on my progress as I train.
Come join the Summit for Someone family!
Take action, make an impact, change a life. :)
As I said in my donor letter: "How awesome is that? In my time climbing and exploring the outdoors I’ve learned more about myself than I’ve ever imagined. For some of these BCM kids this will be their first experience living off the grid, learning to trust themselves and their team members, pushing themselves to the limit mentally and physically. Their trip has the potential to change their lives, to give them the confidence to take charge of their futures and make the tough choice to leave home for college, or resist peer pressure. I’m so excited I get to be a part of that process." With Summit for Someone and BCM my two passions collide - I get to climb, and I get to give back to the kids I love teaching so much.
I won the contest, and over the last 10 months I've been making huge leaps of progress towards becoming the strong confident climber I want to be. Between Colorado, Wyoming, New York, and soon California, I've seen my self improve - something I never thought would happen. Now the next stage has finally come: committing to a Summit for Someone climb.
Gannett peak is epic. It's a 40 mile round trip, 5 day adventure. I chose it for it's remoteness. I want to really have a chance to BE in the wild. I'm not gonna lie - I'm a little nervous, especially since I'm not THAT in shape or THAT keen on training. But what kind of adventure would it be if I was sure I could do it? Go big or go home I say.
So here is my request: Donate.
Yes I won enough money to cover the cost, but after taxes it's substantially less. They money I won is a blessing, but it's faceless. I'm going to need the support of REAL PEOPLE counting on me, giving me strength to reach the top. My goal is to raise $1,000 ABOVE the minimum commitment of $4,500. So take a second and check out my donation page. $10 would be lovely, $50 would be awesome - and also gets your a copy of the movie I'm going to make documenting how cranky I get when I'm sore, and how much chocolate I'm going to eat at altitude. You'll also get regular updates on my progress as I train.
Come join the Summit for Someone family!
Take action, make an impact, change a life. :)
