Letter from Erik Weihenmayer

Amazing. Incredible. Empowering. Inspiring. Life-changing.

These are just a few of the words that are being used to describe No Barriers Summit 2011.

Pretty nice descriptors, and yet none of them seem quite big enough to capture the unbelievable four days we spent together in Winter Park, Colorado.

At the start of the event, I promised that Summit 2011 would change your life, and I hope that it did. I know that it changed mine.

I had a blast exploring the adventure clinics. I was blown away by presentations and demos of cutting-edge technologies. I was wildly entertained by world-class music, comedy, and film. But more than that, I was considerably moved, and constantly impressed, by the innovators and positive thinkers I met every day.

Like so many of you, my favorite part of the Summit is meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends. You all are one inspiring group of people.

I'd like to share with you my pick for 2011's top "No Barriers moment."

On the last day of the Summit, Jordan Romero and I led a mountaineering clinic, a hike up North Cone. Among the nearly 50 participants was Kyle Maynard, a young man born without fully-formed arms or legs who was attending his first Summit. After using a wheelchair (with assistance from the Romeros and others) to get halfway up the mountain, he was determined to finish the climb unassisted. He donned homemade prosthetic pads that he had created that morning out of towels and packing tape, got out of his wheelchair, and powered himself over rough terrain and a snowfield at nearly 12,000 feet.

It is a climb, a moment, an image that none of us on the hike will ever forget. It is the essence of the No Barriers mindset.

We'd love to hear about your No Barriers moments – please keep 'em coming to us at http://www.facebook.com/nobarrierssummit or info@NoBarriersUSA.org. And let's keep up the momentum because Summit 2013 is just around the corner, and – this is both a promise and a challenge – it's going to the best one yet! We've got lots of exciting new ideas and plans that we'll share as they unfold, but you can help us out by giving us your feedback in our post-event survey coming out soon, on what was awesome in 2011 and what you hope we will add or change in 2013.

In the meantime, continue to have fun, explore new vistas, and stay in touch. We hope that the Summit inspired everyone who came to live as a pioneer and to imagine solutions to the barriers which stand in the way of achieving our dreams.

The staff, Board and I are indebted to the sponsors, partners and volunteers who have made No Barriers Summit 2011 possible, and we look forward to seeing you all in 2013!

Erik Weihenmayer
Chairman
No Barriers USA Corporation

Videos

Photos

Honorary Committee

The Honorable Mark Udall
U.S. Senator, State of Colorado

The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Governor, State of Colorado

Josh Blue
Comedian / U.S. Paralympian, Soccer

Craig Pollitt
President, National Sports Center for the Disabled

   

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