Climbing
Former NFL Wide Reciever Mark Pattison aims to climb Mount Everest (29,029-ft), raising $29,029 for each foot he takes up the mountain.ย The 59-year-old former Raiders, Rams, and Saints player picked up technical climbing and expedition mountaineering after quitting football. He currently trains at Sun Valley, Idaho, the first destination ski resort in the United States and home of the motorized chairlift. Mark trains seven days a week, ascending the 9,150 ft. Bald Mountain during the night.
Pattison hopes to be one of 500 people in mountaineering’s Seven Summits club to reach the top of the highest peak on each continent.ย He has already completed six of these peaks, including Mt. McKinley (20,320-ft), believed by many to be even tougher than Everest. He has also tackled Mt. Aconcagua (22,841-ft) in the Andes, the world’s highest mountain not in the Himalayas.
After completing Everest, Pattison plans to climb the neighboring Lhoste, the world’s 4th highest peak.ย This would mean he is a part of a few dozen alpinists to summit two 8,000-plus meter peaks within a 24 hour period. He also claims that he would be the oldest person and NFL veteran to complete such a feat.
Charity is at the forefront of his efforts as he uses these quests to raise money and help bring fresh drinking water to local underprivileged communities in Africa. He has raised $47,000 to build wells for Tanzanian villages.ย Mark Pattison is an avid skier, public speaker, Sports Illustrated executive, and he also runs an inspiration podcast (180 episodes) named “Finding Your Summit.”
