CONTACT FOR REPORTERS
Kate Jeracki
kate.jeracki@colostate.edu
(970) 491-2658
(970) 980-3678 (cell)
Erik Weihenmayer is the first and only blind person to summit Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Descending carefully, when the mountain was finally behind him, his expedition leader slapped him on the back and said something that would affect the course of Weihenmayer’s life: “Don’t make Everest the greatest thing you ever do.”
No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon is Erik’s response to that challenge. The book is the moving story of his journey since descending Mount Everest, from leading expeditions around the world with blind Tibetan teenagers to helping injured soldiers climb their way home from war. Ultimately, he faces the most terrifying reach of his life: to solo kayak the thunderous whitewater of the Grand Canyon.
Weihenmayer will discuss No Barriers March 28, at the Hilton Fort Collins, as part of the Colorado State University Morgan Library Evening with an Author series. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., the program begins at 7 p.m. Seating will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, no registration or tickets required. Signed copies of the book will be for sale and Weihenmayer will be available for photos following the program.
Like the rapids of the Grand Canyon, created by inexorable forces far beneath the surface, No Barriers is a dive into the heart and mind at the core of the turbulent human experience. It is an exploration of the light that burns in all of us, the obstacles that threaten to extinguish that light, and the treacherous ascent towards growth and rebirth.
In 2005, Weihenmayer co-founded No Barriers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching people that “What’s within you is stronger than what’s in your way.” The organization helps people of diverse backgrounds and abilities develop a No Barriers Mindset — to attack challenges head on, solve problems, build winning teams, and serve others.
Friends of the Morgan Library, Poudre River Public Library, Poudre River Friends of the Library, Old Firehouse Books, Hilton Fort Collins, Liggett Family Endowment, and KUNC-FM support the Evening with an Author Series.
For more information, visit the Morgan Library website.