Climbing For Awareness

Climbing For Awareness is an idea to help change the perception of eating disorders and to raise awareness of this epidemic. To help do this I am attempting to climb The 7 Summits, which is the highest mountian on each of the seven continents. The choice of The 7 Summits is a symbolic gesture showing that eating disorders is a global problem that affects both women and men.
In February of 2006, my girlfriend and I started the non-profit organization The Joy Project. Since then I have struggled with my role in this organization. I wanted to do more than just keep the books and run a business. I wanted to help make a difference, make a change. In my day-to-day job in EMS I have seen how doctors and nurses treat people with eating disorders as 'freaks', as people that have some sick mental illness and treat them without the respect they deserve. They come to the hospital looking for help and are talked down to, not taken seriously and many times either are dismissed or sent to a psych unit where they don't receive the treatment they came looking for in the first place. I realized that there exists a lack of awareness as to what eating disorders are and why people have them. They are not about vanity or ego, they are about something much more deep and personal than something as shallow as that. My work in The Joy Project has taught me that there exists a gross misunderstanding about eating disorders and that the first step towards recovery exists not with the individual afflicted with the eating disorder, but rather with the community at large. If the community understood better what causes eating disorders they would be better prepared to offer and provide the support those with eating disorders so desperately need.
I have always had a fascination with climbing mountains but lacked the resources to do so. I live in Minnesota where there exists no mountains, I have never participated in rock climbing of any sort, and to be honest I am a little bit afraid of heights, but I figured that if I can find a way to realize my dream that maybe I can help some one realize theirs. I hope that through my efforts I can further advance the understanding and acceptance of eating disorders and in the process maybe inspire someone with an eating disorder that they too can realize their dreams. I may fail in my efforts. I may never achieve all seven summits. I may never even reach the peak of one summit, but at least I tried. The worst kind of failure is the kind that comes about from not even taking the first step towards your dream. Backed by the determination to accomplish something, what is hard can be made easy, and the seemingly impossible, possible.
For more information about Climbing For Awareness or how you can help, please visit my website at www.climbingforawareness.com
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