Erik Weihenmayer: Blind Athlete & Visionary

A former middle school teacher and wrestling coach, Erik Weihenmayer is one of the best-known athletes in the world. Despite losing his vision at the age of 13, he has become an accomplished mountain climber, paraglider, and skier, never allowing his blindness to interfere with his passion for life. Erik’s feats have earned him an ESPY award, recognition by Time Magazine, induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, an ARETE Award, the Helen Keller Lifetime Achievement award, and the Freedom Foundation’s Free Spirit Award. He has also carried the Olympic Torch.

On May 25, 2001, Erik became the first blind man to summit Mount Everest. And on September 5, 2002, when he stood atop Mt. Kosciusko in Australia, he completed a 7-year quest to climb the Seven Summits — the highest mountains on each of the seven continents — joining only 100 others who have accomplished that feat. Erik also competed in Primal Quest, the richest and toughest multisport adventure race in the world. His team surged past the finish line on Lake Tahoe and was featured on an ABC special.

In addition to being a world-class athlete, Erik is also the author of Touch the Top of the World. In this memoir, Erik recalls his struggle to push past the limits of vision loss. He has also been published in Time, Forbes, Reader’s Digest, Outside, Climbing Magazine, and Chicken Soup.

His 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.

Erik’s award-winning film, Farther Than the Eye Can See, 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. The film has raised significant funds 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, his accomplishments show that one does not have to have perfect eyesight to have extraordinary vision. His corporate clients include Google, Bank of America, General Mills, Proctor and Gamble, Cisco Systems, IBM, AT&T, General Electric, America Online, Microsoft, Merrill Lynch, UBS, and many others.

Listen to an interview with Paul & Erik on Business Opportunity Radio....

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Published by Fireside, a division of Simon & Schuster. Foreword by Stephen R. Covey

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