Park City, UT – Chris Waddell, the most decorated male skier in Paralympic history, has just returned from a preliminary trip to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. His plan is to summit the 19,340 foot mountain in March of next year. If successful, he will be the first paraplegic to summit the tallest free standing mountain, unassisted.
Earlier this month Waddell traveled to Kilimanjaro with an experienced group to research the challenges that await him. Waddell was accompanied by a full video and still photography crew, a mountain guide, and a physician.
“We needed to go in person first to know what we’re up against,” explains Waddell. “There’
Waddell says this outing helped put the expedition into perspective for the team. “It was far more technical than I had anticipated with a steep approach, loose rock and tricky water troughs.”
The expedition is just one facet of Waddell’s new business endeavor called “One Revolution” (www.one-revolution.com)
The purpose of One Revolution is to change preconceived notions about the disabled community. The One Revolution Foundation is the non-profit arm of the business, where donations are tax deductible and go toward the educational outreach and “Mobility Revolution” that Waddell is committed to.
One Revolution is Waddell’s motto for this expedition, and his life. “One revolution means so many things to me,” says Waddell. “One revolution of the handcycle, one revolution to change the way people see the disabled community and one revolution of the globe, which symbolizes steady, fundamental change.”
Waddell is no stranger to breaking people’s preconceptions about what paraplegics can and cannot do. As a spokesperson for the Paralympics and winner of 13 Paralympic medals, he has used his incredible abilities to challenge others to think differently about disabled individuals. “I am climbing Kilimanjaro because I want to shine a light back on the disabled community,” says Waddell. “To show that if you really take the time to look at us, you might be surprised.”
As a promising young skier at Middlebury College in 1988, a skiing accident left Waddell paralyzed from the waist down. Determined to get back on the slopes, he mastered the monoski and spent 11 years on the US Disabled Ski Team. In addition to Waddell’s impressive athletic achievements, he has found success as a motivational speaker – traveling the globe to inspire individuals and companies with his story.
Waddell has been featured in numerous publications, including Outside Magazine, Skiing, Ski, National Geographic Explorer, and People Magazine named him one of “The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.” He has also appeared on Dateline and Oprah.
Additional information on Waddell’s historic climb and how the public can contribute is available online at www.One-Revolution.com.
