Conquering Everest is story
of friendship
Lucas Valley man helps pal to peak
Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - A Marin resident
helped realize the dream of a disabled Nepal man over the weekend as the pair
reached the summit of Mount Everest.
Tom McMillan, 47, who lives in Lucas Valley, made
it to the top Saturday along with friend Nawang Sherpa, 32. While many have
made the trek, Nawang's story had a twist. He had lost part of his left leg in
a motorcycle accident and made it to the summit with a prosthetic leg.
"This is an example of no matter what your
obstacles, you can reach your dreams," said Linda McMillan, who has been
in touch with her husband via a satellite phone for the entire trip. "Tom
was elated. He said, 'I can't believe we did it.' "
The expedition, dubbed "Friendship Beyond
Borders," had its genesis in a 1998 climb of the south face of Annapurna
in Nepal. It was there that the McMillans met Nawang, who was a guide for the
trip to base camp, and the trio struck up a friendship.
"We had such a good time with him,"
McMillan said. "He had such a great way with people."
The Marin couple encouraged him to take classes to
become a climbing guide who could take people to the summit of Everest, and
Nawang did just that.
But less than two years later, Nawang was in a
motorcycle accident in Katmandu and his left leg had to be amputated just below
the knee.
"Here he had this dream of climbing Everest
and it all seemed lost," McMillan said.
In May 2001, Nawang came to the United States and
stayed in San Rafael as he was fitted for a prosthetic leg at the University of
California at San Francisco.
The prosthesis allowed Nawang to resume his work
as a guide at lower elevations, but it seemed his dreams of doing more would
not materialize. Not only did there appear to be physical limitations, but
there were financial issues as well. A trip up Everest costs tens of thousands
of dollars in equipment and expenses.
But in 2002, Duluth, Minn. climber Ed Hommer -
also an amputee - took an interest in Nawang and announced they would scale
Everest in 2003. In September 2002 tragedy struck. Hommer died while training
on a Washington state mountain.
Then, one year ago, Tom McMillan's employer, San
Francisco-based AMB Property Corp., offered to pay for a chunk of the trip.
Other sponsors quickly came forth and the trek was on.
Last month, the pair arrived at Everest's base
camp and began getting acclimated to the altitude. Then they made a run at the
top and reached the summit in five days, along with three guides. The group is
now descending and McMillan is expected back in Marin at the end of the month.
"They were amazed it went so well, and by how
good they felt," McMillan said. "In today's war-torn world, this
makes you feel very good. It's a story about friends who care for each
other."
Contact Mark Prado via e-mail at mprado@marinij.com