Erik Weihenmayer

After Erik Weihenmayer reached the summit of Mount Everest in May 2001, President George W. Bush invited him to the Oval Office, Time Magazine put him on its cover, and he was a special guest on such national programs as The Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightline and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Having now joined the fewer than 100 mountain climbers worldwide who have scaled the highest peaks on all seven land continents, Erik continues to surprise many, including expert mountaineers, who were, at first, doubtful.

What skeptics underestimated was Erik's determination to push past the limits placed on him by visual impairments - and by a seeing world. With the same raw energy and persistence he had before becoming totally blind at age 13, Erik has shattered the preconceptions of many by becoming a world-class mountaineer and athlete - acrobatic skydiver, long-distance biker, marathon runner, skier, scuba diver and, most recently, paraglider. In July 2002, he stood in the company of the world's most accomplished sports figures when he received ESPN's ESPY award as Best Disabled Athlete.

"If you look beyond the obvious, there are a dozen ways to climb a mountain, or do anything," says Erik, who lives in Golden, CO. Recalling how he angrily used to throw his white canes off of bridges, he continues, "Going blind was difficult for me to accept at first, but it ultimately forced me to search a little deeper, leading to great discoveries."

Erik used RFB&D's recorded textbooks throughout high school and college, earning bachelor's and master's degrees from Boston College and eventually becoming a fifth-grade teacher. In his widely selling book, Touch the Top of the World, he credits RFB&D and others for facilitating his education and allowing him the joy of literature. In the book, he also vividly describes challenges he has overcome, including the retinoscheses that caused the gradual loss of his vision, the sudden death of his mother when he was 15, and his harrowing climbs through rain, snow and frigid winds.

Erik recalls how his father, a former Marine and football star, repeatedly read his favorite poem, entitled "Don't Quit," to his family. "That poem made a real impression on me," he says. "One thing I've learned is that life is never meant to be easy; challenging maybe, rewarding from time to time, but never easy. Someone once told me that I needed to recognize my limitations. I find it much more fun to try to realize my potential."