Tim Medvetz

I was like, I'm going to do something about this. And so I made some phone calls and I met this kid, Keith, stepped on an IED, missing his leg well above the knee, about halfway up his thigh. And I was just like, hey, you want to go climb a mountain? He's like, I got no leg, man. Like, you know, real funny, big, big jokes for you are. I'm like, no, no, no, we'll figure it out, man. We can do this.

And then we started training. And fast forward, we're in Russia on a mountain called Mount Elbrus. And we're about in the whole month we're on that mountain. All he wants to do is go back. I want to go back. I want to go home. This is enough. I can't do this. I can't do this. Come on, man. You got this. We can do this. We can do this. And then finally, we're going up. It's summit day.

And then we started training. And fast forward, we're in Russia on a mountain called Mount Elbrus. And we're about in the whole month we're on that mountain. All he wants to do is go back. I want to go back. I want to go home. This is enough. I can't do this. I can't do this. Come on, man. You got this. We can do this. We can do this. And then finally, we're going up. It's summit day.

And then we started training. And fast forward, we're in Russia on a mountain called Mount Elbrus. And we're about in the whole month we're on that mountain. All he wants to do is go back. I want to go back. I want to go home. This is enough. I can't do this. I can't do this. Come on, man. You got this. We can do this. We can do this. And then finally, we're going up. It's summit day.

And we're going. And he's just... His stump is blistering and bleeding and he just wants to turn around and quit. And I'm like, just give me like just 30 more steps and we'll turn around, we'll go home. And then he goes 30 steps. Okay, let's turn around. I'm like, come on, you got 20 more in you. And then another 20 steps and then another 10 steps. Just come on, five more.

And we're going. And he's just... His stump is blistering and bleeding and he just wants to turn around and quit. And I'm like, just give me like just 30 more steps and we'll turn around, we'll go home. And then he goes 30 steps. Okay, let's turn around. I'm like, come on, you got 20 more in you. And then another 20 steps and then another 10 steps. Just come on, five more.

And we're going. And he's just... His stump is blistering and bleeding and he just wants to turn around and quit. And I'm like, just give me like just 30 more steps and we'll turn around, we'll go home. And then he goes 30 steps. Okay, let's turn around. I'm like, come on, you got 20 more in you. And then another 20 steps and then another 10 steps. Just come on, five more.

Just go a little bit there. We'll sit down, we'll take a break and then we'll go back home. And then finally we sit down, we come over this little ridge line. We sit down, I'm like, just relax, relax. He's like, that's it, I'm done. I'm not doing any more of your steps. We're going home. I'm tired of this. I can't do this. And I go, look over your shoulder.

Just go a little bit there. We'll sit down, we'll take a break and then we'll go back home. And then finally we sit down, we come over this little ridge line. We sit down, I'm like, just relax, relax. He's like, that's it, I'm done. I'm not doing any more of your steps. We're going home. I'm tired of this. I can't do this. And I go, look over your shoulder.

Just go a little bit there. We'll sit down, we'll take a break and then we'll go back home. And then finally we sit down, we come over this little ridge line. We sit down, I'm like, just relax, relax. He's like, that's it, I'm done. I'm not doing any more of your steps. We're going home. I'm tired of this. I can't do this. And I go, look over your shoulder.

And he turns around and he looks over and he goes, is that what I think it is? I said, yeah, that's the summit. I said, get up, man. He gets up and he puts the leg back on and I take the rope off him. He said, what are you doing? I'm like, you're okay, man. It's like, this is a real nice, easy path. You're not going to die on. I'm like, this ain't about the war. This ain't about your family.

And he turns around and he looks over and he goes, is that what I think it is? I said, yeah, that's the summit. I said, get up, man. He gets up and he puts the leg back on and I take the rope off him. He said, what are you doing? I'm like, you're okay, man. It's like, this is a real nice, easy path. You're not going to die on. I'm like, this ain't about the war. This ain't about your family.

And he turns around and he looks over and he goes, is that what I think it is? I said, yeah, that's the summit. I said, get up, man. He gets up and he puts the leg back on and I take the rope off him. He said, what are you doing? I'm like, you're okay, man. It's like, this is a real nice, easy path. You're not going to die on. I'm like, this ain't about the war. This ain't about your family.

This is all about you. I didn't carry you up here. You got your ass up here. So get up there and go take what's yours. Go get it. And he took those last hundred steps and I sat there and I watched him dragging that prosthetic leg and he got to the summit and he threw his arms up and he's screaming and he's yelling. I did it, man. I did it. And he screamed, he's crying.

This is all about you. I didn't carry you up here. You got your ass up here. So get up there and go take what's yours. Go get it. And he took those last hundred steps and I sat there and I watched him dragging that prosthetic leg and he got to the summit and he threw his arms up and he's screaming and he's yelling. I did it, man. I did it. And he screamed, he's crying.

This is all about you. I didn't carry you up here. You got your ass up here. So get up there and go take what's yours. Go get it. And he took those last hundred steps and I sat there and I watched him dragging that prosthetic leg and he got to the summit and he threw his arms up and he's screaming and he's yelling. I did it, man. I did it. And he screamed, he's crying.

And I'm sitting there like watching this like all unfold. And I'm like, holy. And I had a buddy of mine, a climbing buddy of mine came and filmed it. And after he's going through this whole thing, I'm like, all right, let's go. We got to get out of here. He's like, I ain't leaving. You better get up here. And it dawned on me.

And I'm sitting there like watching this like all unfold. And I'm like, holy. And I had a buddy of mine, a climbing buddy of mine came and filmed it. And after he's going through this whole thing, I'm like, all right, let's go. We got to get out of here. He's like, I ain't leaving. You better get up here. And it dawned on me.

And I'm sitting there like watching this like all unfold. And I'm like, holy. And I had a buddy of mine, a climbing buddy of mine came and filmed it. And after he's going through this whole thing, I'm like, all right, let's go. We got to get out of here. He's like, I ain't leaving. You better get up here. And it dawned on me.

I was like, because at this point, I've summited all the biggest mountains around the world at this point. And it was the first time in my climbing career, per se,