This is the first all-Black team that climbed the top of Everest and reveled in their extraordinary achievement.
Seven members of the Full Circle Everest group went to Mount Rainier in Washington last year and worked on conquering Everest ever since.
They left the base camp on May 2nd and reached the summit on May 12th.
Of the estimated 10,000 people that have previously climbed the top of this mountain, only 10 of them were Black.
With these statistics in mind, their endeavor means that the number of Black climbers who’ve reached this peak has doubled and carries a special meaning for the Black community.
One of the Most Important Moments in the History of Black People
According to Rosemary Saal, this is a major achievement for everyone on the team, for the whole team, for the Sherpas, and for all the external support they’ve received.
He added that they can now take this unique experience to their communities and spread the story, sharing their knowledge of this impressive culture and place and maybe become an inspiration for future outdoor enthusiasts.
The head of the expedition, Richardson, said that there are two reasons why he made it his goal to journey to Everest. One of them was the need to give back to others.
He’s been in the industry for almost 30 years and when he became part of this world, there were no people like himself to whom he could look up for mentorship and guidance.
It’s not that he didn’t have amazing mentors, but after three decades, he felt like he wanted to mentor different members of the team and the rest was history.
Becoming an Inspiration for Others to Find Their Own Adventure
The other reason was the connection between the Nepal people and the Sherpas. He helped in training many of them in their craft of working at high altitudes.
He wanted to share his love and his community with the community of Sherpas and his community back home too.
Prior to the group set off to the peak, the leader of the climbers Fred Campbell said that for him, scaling Everest is also an opportunity to help others dream big too.
Campbell explained that he’s hopeful that others we’ll see their experience and realize their love for the mountains and adventures and motivate them to seek their own adventure.
The Full Circle members are the latest who broke Everest peak records. Earlier this month, the 18-year-old climber Lucy Westlake became the youngest woman to climb it.
She said it was an incredible experience and she just couldn’t believe that she was actually on the top of the world.
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