Kilimanjaro SD 480p

I did it! I hiked to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro - the tallest mountain in Africa. I could not have done this without the unwavering support of my wife, the training with Tayler and the love from all of you. I’ve been reflecting on why we humans, specifically me, will consciously choose to engage in experiences that we know will be hard and uncomfortable. I have a couple of answers. The first one is I believe the mind is stronger than the body and the mind can tell the body what to do, it doesn’t mean you can’t take care of your body and you shouldn’t prepare, but it means all the preparation in the world is not gonna get you up the mountain unless you have a very strong mind. This takes practice, and what is the best practice, putting it to use! The guides taught us this. PMA = positive mental attitude, so not only do you have to be strong, but you have to have a positive mental attitude. Another lesson I learned, is you don’t always have to lead, and if you know me, I love to lead. It is OK to follow! Also you do not have to go fast in everything you do. Slow down smell the roses, enjoy each and every moment of life, do not take it for granted. Again everything I do seems to be fast. Sometimes you compete to just complete. And the best answer I have is found in this quote by Zig Ziglar. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goal. This was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. The mountain is king and it strips everything away from you. It is not just altitude, it is not just sleep deprivation, it is not just cold, it is not just hiking 5k in 7 hours with a 5,500 foot elevation gain. It is all of those things together! I won, I concurred that mountain!! 12 of us started from all over the world and 12 of us got to the finish line. We had a group of 61 people supporting us, we had great food, great camaraderie and it would not have been possible with the support of everyone!