This week I met with a new client who is truly an amazing woman. I thought I would take a little time this morning to share her incredible story with you.
Back in 1998, Wendy Booker was a mom and interior designer in Massachusetts. After experiencing some odd symptoms and falling down while setting up a window display, Wendy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Her distress and depression didn't last long. She immediately took her casual hobby of running to a whole new level and has now run 9 marathons over the past 9 years.
Mountain climbing came next. Wendy heard about a group of MS patients who were pulling together a team to climb Mt. McKinley in Alaska (the highest peak in N. America) and she jumped on board immediately. At the time, she didn't know what or where Mt. McKinley was or how to climb a mountain. The only mountain she had heard of in Alaska was called 'Denali' and she knew that it was a brutal climb that had taken many lives. Little did she know that Mt. McKinley and Denali were one in the same!
After extensive training and two summit attempts, Wendy became the first person with MS to summit Denali, and that feeling of accomplishment set off a chain of events that have taken her on an incredible journey. Wendy is now a full-time climber and motivational speaker. She is tackling the Seven Summits (the highest peaks on each of the seven continents) and has currently reached the top of four of these impressive mountains - the first MS sufferer to do so. They include Denali, Kilimanjaro, Mt. Elbrus in Russia and Mt. Aconcagua in South America. Another thing I haven't mentioned... Wendy isn't 25 - she's 53 years old! Not too shabby.
This December Wendy will be traveling to Antarctica to climb Mt. Vinson in the bitter ice and cold. Mt. Everest looms large for the spring of 2009.
Akamai Consulting is working with Wendy to help her find ways to fund her climbing activities and locate opportunities to speak and share her inspirational story. It's an easy job because we truly believe in her ability to make a positive impact on the world. Visit www.wendybooker.net to see photos, read Wendy's blog and learn more about her mission. Get in touch with us or post a comment if you have ideas for media coverage, sponsorships, fundraising or speaking engagements.
And most of all... find your own mountains to climb!
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