Every day thousands of people confront cancer, autism and alzheimer’s disease. The Autism Society, Lance Armstrong Foundation and Alzheimer’s Association provide people the practical tools and resources needed to face these challenges. For the next 5 years, Bob Cassidy and Robert Dickie will climb the tallest mountain on each of the 7 continents to raise funds and increase awareness for these amazing organizations and the missions they represent.
The 7 Summits - A Mountaineer’s Dream
The 7 summits are the highest mountain peaks on each of the 7 continents. Climbing all of them is a well-known mountaineering objective accomplished by only about 250 people. The list includes Everest (Asia), Aconcagua (South America), Denali (North America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Elbrus (Europe), Vinson Massif (Antarctica) and Kosciusko (Australia). Challenges include fitness demands, logistical headaches, unpredictable weather and extreme altitudes.
Climbing all 7 requires a certain diligence or what Bob Cassidy and Robert Dickie refer to as “the long gear.” And Junko Tabei, after becoming the first woman to climb Everest in 1975 said, “Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is the most important. This willpower you cannot buy with money or be given by others…it rises from your heart.”
The 7 Summit Challenge provides a way for Bob and Robert to truly demonstrate their love and admiration for those they climb for – the individuals and their loved one’s impacted by cancer, autism and alzheimer’s. Their most noteworthy accomplishment after completing the 7 Summit Challenge will not be the actual climbs but rather the lasting impact the moneys raised will have on these three amazing organizations and those they serve.