Our
Cho Oyu Expedition Team
CHO OYU ~ The Turquoise Goddess ~ Spring 2006
Our
team is ready to tackle new opportunities to raise awareness of
the extraordinary talents of disabled athletes, and to show the
power of international friendships to overcome the world's toughest
challenges.
In
the spring of 2006, our team attempted to help Nawang Sherpa DOUBLE
his unique success in 2004, by climbing another 8,000 meter peak
only 12 miles (20 km) from Mount Everest: Cho
Oyu, the "Turquoise Goddess" ~ 8,201 metres (26,906 feet).
Unfortunately,
heavy snowfalls and trouble with equipment and cooking staff supplied
by our expedition facilitator prevented Nawang and our team from
reaching this summit this time. We hope to give Nawang another chance
at success in the future.
Not
with the team on Cho Oyu and Mount Everest, but certainly there
in spirit, cheering them on...
Greg Francisco and (below, left to right) Tom Halvorson of Northern
Prosthetics & Orthotics Center in Duluth, Minnesota. Tom was
Ed Hommer's prosthetist and now is serving as Nawang's prosthetist.
Kelley Raymond, who climbed Denali with Ed Hommer in 1999 as a two-man
team.American climbing legend (first American ascent of K2, etc.)
Jim
Wickwire of Seattle, Washington who tried to climb Mt. Everest
from the Tibetan side with Ed Hommer in 2002.
The
late Ed
Hommer of Minnesota (above right), Nawang's friend and the first
bilateral amputee to reach the summit of Mt. McKinley on June 3,
1999. Ed had planned to climb Mt. Everest with Nawang in 2003, but
was killed by rockfall on Mt. Rainier in September 2002. Ed was
instrumental in helping Nawang receive advanced prosthetic and orthotic
care through The
High Exposure Foundation. which has inspired Nawang to pursue
his dream to climb Mount Everest.
Walter
Racette (picture below, right) and the University of California,
San Francisco Orthopaedic
Surgery Department provided Nawang with his first prosthetic
leg in May 2001. Seen here, Nawang is providing essential feedback
to his friends Steve and Walter at one of his weekly checkups.
Steve
Sheridan of Vail, Colorado (picture below, center), who after
hearing of Nawang's accident in 2000, looked for ways to obtain
a prosthetic leg for him. Eventually he connected with Walter Racette
at UCSF, who agreed to donate a prosthetic leg and fitting services
for Nawang--another major turning point in Nawang's life.
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Climbing Member:
Nawang Sherpa
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