Have you ever had a dream about something you wanted to accomplish? Or been driven by a passion to achieve a goal? For anyone one of us who has known this, I’d venture to say it is a very powerful force. There is something about being human that propels us to achieve new feats and great heights. We are blessed that we can take our dreams and give them wings. I hope if anything, this article inspires you to take flight this month and make something you have held in your heart come to life. I may not be flying off mountains like our featured celebrity but I am putting on a new pair of tap shoes and planning to dance like no one is watching. So go for it! Go make something you wish for come true in April and please share your experience with me by email at: SterlingSpin@ gmail.com. Ever since he was a kid, Joby Ogwyn always imagined what it would be like to fly and he will have his chance next month. The Discovery Channel recently announced that Ogwyn will attempt the first wingsuit jump off Mount Everest, Earth´s highest mountain with a peak of 29,029 feet, in Everest Jump Live in May 2014. Joby has an extreme passion to explore, a passion that has led him from his home in the flat lands of Louisiana to the highest places on earth. His adventures began at the age of fifteen by driving a beat up van south of the border to Guatemala with friends. Climbing volcanoes and exploring ancient Mayan ruins ignited his passion for travel and adventure. It was then that Joby started to plan his worldwide expeditions. Joby climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro at eighteen and by twenty-six he had become the youngest person in the world to climb the “Seven Summits. With more than 30 global expeditions completed, the Himalayas , Karakoram , and Patagonia continue to be a playground for Joby’s adventures but now he is
seeking new ways of exploring the world. In the summer of 2007, Joby teamed up with National Geographic Adventure producers to make a new kind of extreme action television series. “Adventure Wanted” showcases Joby’s skills at car racing, BASE jumping, bull riding and white water kayaking to name a few. Joby’s other passion is human flight and he explores his world from above using wing-suit technology. In 2009 Joby made the first ever wingsuit and on October 8th 2010 Joby became the first human ever to fly a wing-suit next to Mt. Everest, landing at over 17,000 ft, a world record. The network will cover his upcoming training and preparation in two hour-long specials, then follow him live as he makes his way up to the summit and jumps off in a custom-made wingsuit equipped with cameras to give viewers a bird’s eye view to watch along as he plunges 10,000 feet toward the bottom at 150 mph.
This isn´t youngest peak and record.
Ogwyn´s first experience with Everest. He was the American to ascend the world´s highest in 2008 at the age of 25, when he set the for the fastest climb of Mt. Everest in nineand-a-half-hours (it typically takes three to four days). Now, he tackles his ultimate challenge on Everest - something he´s dreamed about all of his life.
"I can’t think of a more spectacular backdrop than Everest,” Joby said when announcing the LIVE event on Discovery.
“This is history in the making,” said Eileen O’Neill, Group President Discovery and TLC Networks. “Discovery Channel continues to bring live broadcast events unlike anything you’ll see on television – from Felix Baumgartner’s world record for the highest space jump to Nik Wallenda’s incredible tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon.”
“This will be the final piece of my dream,” Joby said. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve imagined what it would be like to fly. Everything that I’ve ever accomplished in my life has just been practice for what I’m about to do.”
Do what you’re being called to do … and make it happen for you! With love, Liz "Everest Jump Live" will air live on the Discovery Channel and in 224 countries and territories in May 2014.
By Liz Sterling
A writer, Huffington Post blogger, radio talk show host and motivational speaker. Listen to Liz’s radio show and inspiring celebrity interviews at SterlingSpin.com
