A California man is on his way to
becoming the first person with cerebral palsy to climb Yosemite's El Capitan.
Steve Wampler took off for the week-long trip on Sunday and has since covered
about 750 feet.
The 42-year-old is making the trek along with a group of other climbers ... who
are helping guide him using a system of ropes to haul himself up.
Wampler, who has spent most of his life in a wheelchair, trained for the hike
for more than a year, using weights and practicing in his harness.
He estimates it will take about 20-thousand pulls to reach the top, and expects
to be at the top by Friday.
Steve Wampler Foundation
Being a disabled kid is a big challenge to overcome. It has been my passion
and life’s work to give these children a start in life they would never have
had, with challenging wilderness programs.
I was born with severe Cerebral Palsy and I use a power chair, but I now feel
fortunate in life and I wouldn’t change it for anything! At nine years old, my
parents enrolled me in an annual wilderness camp in the High Sierras where I
fished, hiked, played in the lake and slept under the stars. I learned I could
do anything I set my mind to and it became my favorite place on earth.
Ten years and thousands of happy ‘Wampler Kids’ later, my quest continues to
champion young adventurers by directly funding these life-changing experiences
at no cost to their families. None of this, of course, is possible without your
generosity. Any amount that you can contribute, large or small, will make a big
difference in helping disabled kids to live richer lives.
Stephen J. Wampler Foundation
A 501 (c) 3 Non-Profit Corporation
Tax Exemption Number: 80-0470847
941 Orange Avenue, Suite 440, Coronado, CA 92118
