Overcoming Fear
It’s the first step to becoming the best we can be – in life, in business, in relationships.
Live a NO BARRIERS life.
“Shortly after going blind, I received a newsletter in Braille about a group taking blind kids rock climbing. I thought to myself, who would be crazy enough to take a blind kid rock climbing? So I signed up! Although there was a lot of flailing and struggle in those early days, the freedom of attacking a challenge and problem solving my way through it invigorated me and helped me to feel less trapped by blindness. It was this early seed of adventure that fueled an ambition in me that would eventually lead to hundreds of ascents around the world and all the way to the summit of Mount Everest.”
Erik Weihenmayer
Erik is one of the most inspiring, engaging, and sought after speakers in the world. His presentations engage and inspire audiences by capturing lessons from his life and adventures.
Erik started out his professional life as a 5th grade school teacher at Phoenix Country Day School. For six years before his adventure and speaking career took off, he taught English and Math, as well as valuable life lessons.
Summits are important milestones, but the ultimate value is when you take the gifts earned through your struggle and use them to ELEVATE your community and be a leader who serves.
Erik’s expeditions and lessons have been turned into award-winning documentaries, and his books provide a window into his life as an adventurer and speaker.
No Barriers
As a blind adventurer, I have been lucky to experience a life of meaning and purpose – of breaking through barriers. After I had safely come down from the summit of Mt. Everest in 2001, becoming the first blind person to reach the highest peak in the world, my team leader told me something that would change the course of my life: “Don’t make Everest the greatest thing you ever do.”
These words stuck with me, and I have spent the last 16 years trying to live up to that challenge: climbing the tallest peak on each continent; kayaking the Grand Canyon; authoring three books; and starting a nonprofit movement, No Barriers.
Thanks for “Roping Up” with me.
No Barriers Warriors helps veterans reclaim their lives by leading and serving again. In the inaugural Warriors expedition, Erik and his Everest team led ten injured soldiers to the summit of 20,000 foot Lobuche in the Himalaya, and the program has since carried out expeditions from the Peruvian Andes, to the volcanoes of Ecuador, to California’s Mt. Whitney.
No Barriers Youth focuses on providing exceptional, culturally rich experiences for youth of all backgrounds. Programs have included foster youth from Florida rafting the Grand Canyon, to deaf and hard of hearing youth exploring Machu Picchu. This June, Erik will lead a No Barriers Youth experience in Nepal, trekking and learning in the high reaches of the Tibetan Plateau.
Exploring a Maritime Land of Snow and Ice Alaska is the land of legends and I’ve always wanted to go ice climbing on the storied steeps of Valdez. I joined friends, Dr. Olga Dobranowski and Sarah Fritz, a practicing nurse, to explore this maritime land of snow and to our excitement, amazing ice climbing. Valdez […]
“Your impact at Google has been significant. Your message on climbing with people that want to get to the top together caused me to re-organize my team at Google. So everyone is angry with you. Just kidding, they are in a much better place and as a team we accomplished a lot more than we thought we could.”
“As always, Erik was awesome and the audience was truly inspired/motivated by his message. I know for me personally, Erik’s words and deeds cause me to reflect on my life and the “summits” I should be aspiring to reach. We’re lucky to have had the chance to spend some time with Erik..”
“Erik had our players in their seats for 70 minutes – and we’re still talking about it. I think every man in the room was moved by his message. I was looking for a speaker that was going to make mental toughness look [as easy as] brushing your teeth. He made mental toughness look like taking a nap.”
Are you ready to commit to a No Barriers Life ?
Take The No Barriers Pledge