Photo: Beyond 7/2
Last Friday,Colin O’Bradydid something rather peculiar after reaching the 29,029-foot summit of Mt. Everest. He muscled his way back down the ice-and-snow-covered mountain to base camp as quickly as his worn-out legs could carry him, then took a helicopter to Kathmandu, where he hopped a commercial jet for a 30-hour flight to Anchorage, Alaska.
“My body is pretty tired,” O’Brady, 31, tells PEOPLE, speaking on a satellite phone. “But I’m ready to getthisdone.”
Exactly what O’Brady is hoping to “get done” in the next few days is an epic odyssey that involves skiing to the North and South Poles, along with climbing the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. Known as theExplorers Grand Slam, only a handful of humans have ever attempted the feat and O’Brady, who previously survived being burned over 25 percent of his body and was told that he “may never walk again,” hopes to finish the feat in record time.
O’Brady started his expedition in January with the intention of raising $1 million for charity – and reducing childhood obesity and empowering kids to develop lifelong healthy habits – in partnership with theAlliance For A Healthier Generation.
“I just believe kids in our society are a little too plugged in,” says the adventurer as deafening winds howl outside his tent. “There’s a time and a place for all that. But there’s also a time and a place for health and well being.”
O’Brady, who made it to Everest’s summit on the same day two other climbers died on the mountain, is no doubt crossing his mitten-encased fingers that this final push of his adventure goes off without a hitch. “What happened on Everest,” he says, “is a reminder of just how close to the edge you are when you climb mountains. And Denali is a serious, challenging, big, bad mountain.”
source: people.com
