Summit #1  -  Mt. Denali — June, 2005

The first summit conquered was Alaska’s 20,320-foot (6194 m) Mt. McKinley (Denali), which Martin and his team climbed in June, 2006.
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Second of seven summits conquered - Mt. Kilamanjaro

Coming Climb:
Mt. Elbrus at 18,510 feet is the highest peak in the Caucasus and also Europe’s highest peak.

In retrospect

Much like a climb, life doesn’t always play out like you plan. I was three years old when my life took its first divergence. I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Much of my time was spent with my mom at Children’s Hospital in Seattle.
I spent days on end in the oncology ward being pumped full of drugs, radiated and undergoing 15 different surgical procedures. A glimmer of hope and happiness broke through my white out every once in a while when Steve Largent or Dave Craig from the Seattle Seahawks dropped by for a visit. Years of this process went on and my leukemia eventually formed into central nervous system cancer and eventually became testicular cancer. I spent many more years making the drive with my mom from our small town of Indianola to Tacoma’s Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Ten years later, I finished my last treatment and have been in remission ever since.

Learning to climb on

After cancer, I've done my best to live my life. I began acting with my sister, Michelle, in the early 1990s and landed a role on the television show Bill Nye the Science Guy. I did a few other television and radio commercials as well as stage performances. I tested my skills on the football and baseball field as well. Some of my coaches were worried about my previous health conditions and kept me out of the game. They said it was too dangerous. My sophomore year of college, my friend Jacob introduced me to a new sport that he had discovered—rock climbing. Our rock climbing endeavors eventually led to mountaineering. Not quite as dangerous as baseball (yeah, right!), but peering down a 500-foot crevasse, with massive seracs hanging off the cliff bands on 40-degree avalanche slopes, has its moments—sorry coach, we’ll be safe!

Present Day

Over the last seven years, Jacob and I have climbed numerous peaks in the Cascade Mountains, including Mt. Rainier more than three times; Mt. Adams twice; Little Tahoma twice; Sloan Peak; Mt. Baker twice; and dozens of rock and ice climbs. Recently, we joined forces with two of our fraternity brothers, both of whom have excellent climbing abilities—and the ambition to support the “7 Summits Cancer Climb.”

In June 2006, we headed for Alaska to climb Denali, the highest peak in North America. We planned and led our own expedition for three weeks up the Kahiltna Glacier where we reached the 20,320-foot summit.

Cancer does not necessarily have to be a debilitating disease. It can be overcome, and survivors can live their dreams. Our goal is to deliver this message through our own actions and help others live their dreams.