Growing up in central Wisconsin is synonymous with growing up on flat ground and in oxygen-rich air. At age sixteen I faced my first uphill climb; the emotional battle of coping with the loss of my father. At thirty-six years of age Hodgkin's Lymphoma claimed his life. His death was a wake-up call for me that life can be short. Eleven years later, I became a father. The day occurred six weeks earlier than expected. The fragility of life was once again revealing itself. During my premature son's hospital stay I picked up a book about Mount Everest. Although I had never climbed before, my dream...

Growing up in central Wisconsin is synonymous with growing up on flat ground and in oxygen-rich air. At age sixteen I faced my first uphill climb; the emotional battle of coping with the loss of my father. At thirty-six years of age Hodgkin's Lymphoma claimed his life. His death was a wake-up call for me that life can be short. Eleven years later, I became a father. The day occurred six weeks earlier than expected. The fragility of life was once again revealing itself. During my premature son's hospital stay I picked up a book about Mount Everest. Although I had never climbed before, my dream...