Erik Weihenmayer (b. 1968) is an American athlete, adventurer, activist and author who lost his vision when he was 14 years old. But his inability to see could in no way deter him in his pursuit of adventure.
He became the first visually-impaired person to climb the Seven Summits – the seven tallest peaks, namely Mt Kosciuszko in Australia, Mt Elbrus in Europe, Mt Everest in Asia, Mt Aconcagua in South America, Mt McKinley (Denali) in North America, Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mt Vinson in Antarctica and the Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), the highest point on Mt Carstensz (Jayawijaya) in Indonesia.
Apart from the Seven Summits, he is also noted for his ascent on El Capitan, the rock cliff situated in Yosemite National Park, in California, besides his desert and kayaking expeditions.
