Clouds drift off the summit of Mount Everest. (rupertuck / flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/rupertuk/ / CC BY 2.0
We’ve been inundated over the centuries with stories about people stricken with illness or difficult circumstances who turn to the outdoors or adventure for their escapism, their comeback, their validation.
They’re all unique in their own way, but this one today about a woman who has climbed all of the Seven Summits – the tallest peaks on each continent – after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis got me. Lori Schneider, 53, of Wisconsin, finished her 10-year quest by standing on top of Everest last year.
Let’s get down to the details – try to imagine forcing your body into altitudes where your brain and body shut down due to a lack of oxygen while you are afflicted by a disease that can shut down your brain and body. You’re not only fighting the mountain, the ice, the thin air but also your own body. MS can make Schneider’s body numb and affect her balance, incredible hurdles to overcome when you strive to climb to 29,000 feet.
Schneider fortunately did not suffer any bad effects of her MS during her 2009 climb up Everest, according to the article. She’s the first with MS to complete all seven summit attempts and to conquer Everest.
From her interview with Outside:
When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (in 1999), I thought my physical life was over. As I stood on the (Everest) summit in the snow, wind, fog, and clouds, I could not see a thing.
After 16 years of climbing, I had no view from the highest point on earth. The only thing I could do was to look inside. What I saw was a woman who had become brave. A woman who thought her physical life was over the day she woke up with half her body numb, no longer feared for her future. Climbing Everest allowed me to believe in the unbelievable.
A story of adversity that stands out. Highly recommend reading. Schneider’s Web site is EmpowermentThroughAdventure.com.
