Illinois Man Trying To Become Among Oldest To Climb Mt. Everest
Maybe it's something in Illinois' water, but we've got another Illinois man who's attempting to become one of the oldest men to ever make it to the summit of the world's tallest mountain. I say another, because it was back in 2021 when a 75 year old Northbrook, Illinois man named Arthur Muir became the oldest American to ever conquer Everest.
Arthur Muir is the oldest American to make it to the summit of Mt. Everest, and he's the 3rd oldest person to ever climb to the top. Japan's Yuichiro Miura holds the record as the oldest, at 80 years, 224 days, according to Oldest.org. Arthur Muir's recent feat tops American Bill Burke, who made the climb at 72 years of age.
I think one of the most impressive bits of background on Arthur Muir is that he took up mountaineering at the age of 68. And, that wasn't his first attempt at taking on Everest. He tried once before in 2019, but a fall from a ladder injured his ankle and forced him to stop.
Like I Said, It Must Be Something In Illinois' Water Because Now An Aurora, Illinois Native Is Going To Take His Shot This Year At Becoming One Of The Oldest To Stand On Top Of The World
At the relatively young age of 61, Aurora native Brian O'Malley has high hopes of getting his name added to the list of the 10 oldest human beings to conquer Mt. Everest.
If he gets it done, he'll not only join Arthur Muir on the list, he'll also join another Illinoisan, Naperville's Lucy Westlake, who set the record as the youngest American to reach the peak of Mt. Everest in 2022.
We've All Heard The Response "Because It's There" When Someone Is Asked Why They Would Want To Climb Mt. Everest, And That's Certainly One Of The Reasons That Brian O'Malley Is Doing This--But There Is Another Reason
According to an interview with Patch.com, Brian was recovering from back surgery when the Mt. Everest bug hit him while watching videos on previous climbs, and once he decided to do it, he wanted to do some good at the same time.
The "why" also extends to raising awareness and funds for Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a charity that helps provide mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families. O'Malley said it's one of his family's favorite charities due to their immediate connection to veterans and first responders.
So far, O'Malley's fundraising has collected upwards of $16,000, according to his campaign website.