USA/FILE: The true story of a blind man and his hike up Mt. Everest is made into a television movie

Record ID: 751628

  • Title: USA/FILE: The true story of a blind man and his hike up Mt. Everest is made into a television movie
  • Date: 21st June 2006
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ERIK WEIHENMAYER SAYING: "I think when something happens, you're faced with an adversity, an obstacle, whatever it may be, it doesn't have to be blindness, you're faced with a choice: you can either allow it to crush you, or you figure out a way to take the energy, to take the storm and use its power to propel you into place that you might not have gotten to in any other way."
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Entertainment,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA9M1OO2ZOP2N2Q59TJ0XPAZTW2
  • Story Text: Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind man to climb Mount Everest, is now immortalized on the small screen in a new television movie, "Touch the Top of the World."
    Created by A&E Network, the movie stars actor Peter Facinelli as Weihenmayer and illustrates the trials and hardships of his ascent to the highest point in the world.
    When Weihenmayer and his team climbed Everest in 2001, they faced treacherous conditions that would test the limits of his handicap. But with the help of his friends, and a never-give-up attitude, Weihenmayer made it safely there and back.
    "Touch the Top of the World" is based on the memoirs Weihenmayer wrote following his hike. He said his book has encouraged many people and he hopes the movie will as well.
    "I remember when I finished Everest, I was coming down the mountain and my team said, 'your life is about to change' and I didn't know exactly what that meant, but it's affected a lot of people. I think when a blind person climbs Everest or stands on mountains, it creates a sort of image in society that maybe nudges society forward, because it takes what seems impossible or improbable and it shatters that perception into a million pieces," said Weihenmayer.
    Early in life, Weihenmayer was diagnosed with a genetic disorder that led to total blindness by the time he was 13. He and his family often frequented remote mountain areas and it was there that he fell in love with adventure hiking. After conquering numerous major peaks, Weihenmayer decided to take on Everest.
    Weihenmayer said that while his blindness was obviously a great hindrance on his adventure, it also encouraged him to try harder to succeed.
    "I think when something happens, you're faced with an adversity, an obstacle, whatever it may be, it doesn't have to be blindness, you're faced with a choice: you can either allow it to crush you, or you figure out a way to take the energy, to take the storm and use its power to propel you into place that you might not have gotten to in any other way," he said.
    Audiences can join Weihenmayer through ice falls, steep ascents, and extreme weather conditions when "Touch the Top of the World" airs on the A&E Network in the United States on Sunday, June 18.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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