We are grateful to our founders for their work and dedication

Erik has become a celebrated and accomplished athlete despite losing his vision at the age of 13. Redefining what it means to be blind, Erik has transformed the image of blindness and opened up the minds of people around the world.

On May 25, 2001, Erik became the first climber with blindness in history to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest. In 2008, he reached the summit of Carstensz Pyramid in Papua New Guinea completing his quest for the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.

Erik refuses to let blindness interfere with his passion for an exhilarating and fulfilling life and actively seeks opportunities to help others adopt a similar mindset. In 2004, Erik and his Everest teammates led a group of blind Tibetan teenagers to 21,000 feet on the north face of Everest as an educational outreach project. Their journey was documented in the film Blindsight. In 2010, Erik and his Everest team led the first Soldiers to Summits climb to the summit of Lobuche in the Himalayas, a quest documented in the film High Ground.

Erik’s No Barriers message is instrumental in the formation of the No Barriers Life elements, the foundation of our transformative work with youth, veterans and people with all types of challenges.