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.

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.

What a thrill to be able to say that you had a contribution in the life of someone - a young person, perhaps, who is trying to take a look at the possibility of their own lives and find out what they are good at and you can help steer their career.

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

Confidence without skill is just emptiness.

People have the inner resources to become anything they want to be. Challenge just becomes the vehicle for tapping into those inner resources.