FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Linda McMillan, MBA
EVEREST: Friendship Beyond Borders Expedition
721 Appleberry Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903
Phone: 415-309-7961
http://lindamcmillan.com/expedition/index.htm
connections@lindamcmillan.com
First Ascent of Mt. Everest Planned by Sherpa
Climber-Amputee and American Friend
San Francisco, California ― February 1, 2004
Thanks to a visionary executive, a legendary mountaineer-amputee, and a dedicated team of climbing friends from across the US, a Sherpa’s dream to climb Mt. Everest in a special way will be “reloaded” next month.
Nawang Sherpa, gravely injured in a traffic accident four years ago, now sports a high tech prosthetic leg and dreams of climbing Mt. Everest. He lives in the high mountains of the Khumbu region of Nepal and makes his living as a Sirdar (trekking guide). Thomas McMillan is his mountaineering friend and former client from the San Francisco Bay area. Tom has an extraordinary chance to climb Mt. Everest, and wants to share that with Nawang. As devoted friends—beyond the borders of nationalities, cultures, and physical abilities—they expect to reach the summit via the South Col route some time in May 2004.
This will be the first time that Mt. Everest (29,035 feet; 8,850 meters), or any of the 14 peaks in the world over 8,000 meters (26, 247 feet), will be climbed by a person with a prosthetic leg. It will be a monumental success not only for Nawang, but for millions of other people around the world who struggle to resume their lives and careers after severe injuries.
Nawang had planned to climb Mt. Everest last year with Ed Hommer, the renowned American mountaineer who in 1999 was the first person to climb Denali (Mt. McKinley) in Alaska with two prosthetic legs. The plans were dashed in September 2002 when Mr. Hommer was hit by spontaneous rockfall and died while training on Mt. Rainier.
But
a new chance to climb Mt. Everest emerged in 2003, as the world celebrated the
50th anniversary of its first ascent by Sir Edmund Hillary and the
Sherpa Tenzing Norgay (May 29, 1953). Tom McMillan, an experienced rock
climber, mountaineer, and database developer for San Francisco-based AMB
Property Corporation, received a surprising challenge one day from AMB’s
Chairman and CEO, Hamid Moghadam.
“He
made me an offer I simply could not refuse—if I would carry the AMB flag to the
summit of Mt. Everest, he would be the lead sponsor for the expedition,
offering a personal pledge that would serve as a challenge for others.” Tom
describes how that offer connected with Nawang’s dream. “I immediately thought of my friend Nawang
Sherpa, who wants so much to climb that mountain, and how great it would be to
stand on the summit with him—as Ed Hillary and Tenzing Norgay had fifty years
ago. So I accepted Hamid’s generous challenge. This was the genesis of the Everest:
Friendship Beyond Borders Expedition.”
Hamid
Moghadam gained his appreciation for the beauty and challenges of high
mountains while attending high school in Switzerland. He sees this expedition
as an innovative way to motivate and challenge AMB and its worldwide workforce.
Moghadam said, "The Friendship Beyond Borders expedition embodies
the spirit of AMB and our people to achieve great challenges in our personal
and professional lives. It is a privilege to be a part of Tom and Nawang's
support team."
The
expedition will also motivate and challenge disabled people around the world
who are committed to rebuilding their lives and careers. Press coverage of
Nawang’s efforts will focus public attention on the huge economic and social
value of helping disabled people find ways to succeed in life. It will shatter
stereotypes and preconceptions about what disabled people can achieve when
given opportunity and friendship. And it will certainly challenge all of us to
reconsider what might be preventing success in our own lives.
The team is expected to arrive at Everest Base Camp (17,300
feet; 5,273 meters) at the beginning of April and begin its acclimatization
regime—climbing up a few thousand feet, climbing back down, climbing up again
and sleeping one night, climbing back down, etc.. Only in this way will their
bodies be able to successfully and safely adjust to the increasingly thin air
as they move up the mountain.
Updates on the expedition will be sent periodically to sponsors
and posted to the website as the team travels
from Kathmandu, through the Khumbu region where Nawang’s family lives, to
Base Camp, and up the remaining 3,566 meters (11,700 feet) elevation gain
to the summit. The team is expected to return to Kathmandu in early June 2004.
For additional information,
contact:
Linda McMillan, MBA
Everest: Friendship
Beyond Borders Expedition
c/o McMillan Associates
721 Appleberry Road
San Rafael, CA 94903
415.309.7961 mobile
415.479.0526 fax
http://lindamcmillan.com/expedition/index.htm
connections@lindamcmillan.com
AMB Property Corporation is a leading owner and operator of industrial real estate, focused on
major hub and gateway distribution markets throughout North America, Europe,
and Asia. As of December 31, 2003 AMB owned, managed and had renovation and
development projects totaling 101.5 million square feet (9.4 million square
meters) and 1,057 buildings in 36 markets within seven countries. AMB invests
in industrial properties located predominantly in the infill submarkets of
its targeted markets. The company's portfolio is comprised largely of High
Throughput Distribution® facilities — industrial properties built
for speed and located near airports, seaports and ground transportation systems.
McMillan Associates,
located in Marin County just north of San Francisco, is a business consulting
firm focused on creating innovative solutions and sustainable economic success
for businesses and communities. We also believe that strong businesses and
communities result when their people contribute in many ways to overall economic,
environmental, and social success. Not only do we encourage this in others,
we make it an important part of what we do. For further information, please
visit our website at: www.lindamcmillan.com/.
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