You don't just deal with adversity. You use it to propel you forward.

I like to skin up ski resorts and, for me, being blind, that's nice because it's wide open, with no avalanche danger.

I've been lucky to have lots and lots of mentors. I think that is incredibly important in anyone's life to encourage and inspire them, let them understand that their own potential is a reality that they can strive for.

I think that it is everyone's obligation they owe to themselves and to their lives to figure out their own way up their own mountain.

You don't just deal with adversity. You use it to propel you forward.

When I went blind at 13, I realized that I wasn't going to be a good baseball or basketball player like I enjoyed before. It forced me to look beyond the obvious, to things that I could still do well.

It's kind of too movie-like to say, "When I started climbing, I knew I wanted to climb Everest some day." Instead, I just started rock climbing as a kid, when I was 16, and then I started teaching and a buddy of mine started taking me out.