Use your hardship as a catalyst to drive you forward.

-Erik Weihenmayer

On this episode of the Circuit of Success, Brett Gilliland welcomes professional speaker and author of No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon Erik Weihenmayer.

Brett and Erik sit down to talk about his life without sight, his journey performing such feats as climbing Mt. Everest and kayaking the grand canyon and his philosophies for using your hardship to drive your growth.

Bio courtesy of Linkedin:

My new book, No Barriers, is available to order at Touchthetop.com. Find me on Goodreads!

Despite going blind at age 14, I’ve had the privilege of living an adventurous life. On May 25, 2001, I became the only blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. At age 39, I reached the top of Carstensz Pyramid, completing my quest to climb all of the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. Time Magazine said, “There is no way to put what Erik has done in perspective because no one has ever done anything like it. It is a unique achievement, one that in the truest sense pushes the limits of what man is capable of.”

In September 2003, I completed Primal Quest, one of the toughest multi-sport races in the world – 9 days, 460 miles, 60,000 feet of elevation gain, no time outs. In 2004, I, along with my Everest teammates, led a group of blind Tibetan teenagers to 21,000 ft. on the north face of Everest as an educational outreach project to carve out opportunities for young people around the globe, no matter what their challenges. Recently, our team lead a group of disabled soldiers to the top of a 20,000+ ft. peak in Nepal to demonstrate that great things can be done even when facing adversities such as amputation, blindness, or post-traumatic stress.

I am an author and professional speaker, a career which has taken me around the world, from Hong Kong to Geneva, from the 2005 APEC Summit in Chile to the 2009 Presidential Inaugural celebration in Washington DC., I have shared speaking platforms with Secretary Colin Powel, Vice President Al Gore, Henry Kissinger, Prime Minister Tony Blair, and authors Tom Peters and Stephen Covey. I speak to audiences about how they can turn adversity to their advantage.

In 2014, I kayaked the entire 277-mile length of the Grand Canyon along with blinded Navy veteran, Lonnie Bedwell. We were supported by a strong team who guided us through the rapids, and the expedition was hosted by No Barriers USA.

Please welcome Erik Weihenmayer to this episode of The Circuit of Success!

The post Erik Weihenmayer Joins The Circuit of Success! appeared first on The Circuit of Success with Brett Gilliland.

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