American boy, 13, is youngest person to climb Everest

American boy, 13, is youngest person to climb Everest

-David Harrison

Rating: ***

“Mom, I’m calling you from the top of the world”, is what thirteen year old Jordan Romero told his mother through his satellite phone last May. As indicated in by the title, Romero became that day in late May, the youngest person in recorded history to climb the tallest mountain peak in the world, taking the title from Temba Tsheri, age sixteen at the time.

The article tells Romero’s incredible and inspirational story from start to finish, covering everything from his initial life changing choice to his momentous six day climb to the summit of Everest. We are provided with the details on young Romero, his father and his step-mothers record breaking climb. The mountaineer protégé had already climbed five of the seven legendary summits when he accomplished Everest, including Kilimanjaro in Africa; Elbrus in Europe, and Aconcagua in South America; Denali in North America; and Carstenz Pyramid in Oceania. Coincidently, Romeo wasn’t the only record breaker that day; also on his trip was fifty year old Apa Sherpa who broke his own record for most Everest climbs, accomplishing his twentieth.

I found this article not only inspirational, as anyone would, but also inspiring. Romero’s determination and courage is astounding and can be related to any teenager’s life. It is incredible to see a boy, a mere six months older than me, accomplishing something so huge, his biggest dream. His story would make even the most pessimistic of people want to start chasing their dreams. This article made me realize that virtually anything is possible, as long as you set a goal, work hard and have a strong support system.

Harrison, David. “American boy, 13, is youngest person to climb Everest.” The Telegraph. May 22, 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews /asia/ tibet7753858/American-boy-13-is-youngest-person-to-climb-Everest.html . (September 19, 2011)