"We are happy because we are helping"

"We are happy, because we are helping". An encouraging and deeply humbling thing to hear as this man and his team labored to secure my safety during a challenging manual evacuation from Kilimanjaro. Not long after summitting, I had developed High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (H.A.P.E.), and I owe my health—and perhaps much more—to their exceptional judgment and tireless effort.

To say I am "deeply grateful" only emphasizes how inadequate words are to capture the most profound experiences in life.

As we trekked this stunning mountain - equal parts beautiful and fierce - our team of experienced leaders had spent the week marveling at the natural leadership of our Tanzanian guides, porters, and crew. Their resilience, calm, humor, and empathy transformed even the harshest conditions into lessons in strength and unity. They modeled a kind of leadership we aspired to but rarely achieved as fully, a balance of strength and selflessness that they seemed to execute as naturally as breathing.

As I learned their stories, I began to understand a paradox. These remarkable leaders—who enable countless climbers to realize their aspirations on Kilimanjaro— lack the resources to fulfill their own dreams off the mountain. They have the vision, skills, and work ethic, but resource gaps keep their aspirations perpetually out of reach.

The Summit Partnership was born on a mountain, where brilliant leaders helped our team, and many others, attain our summit goals. Now, it continues beyond those heights, empowering these same leaders to climb toward their own summits off the mountain, infusing their visions with the resources needed to bring them to life.