We want to accomplish something. We want to love and be loved. We want to explore, achieve, stand out. Yet we will all die someday.
PUBLISHED March 21, 2018
San Francisco-based Heather Millar is a breast cancer survivor. A journalist for more than 25 years, she has covered health care and science for many national magazines and websites.
A few weeks ago, I was saddened to see a news story reporting that Ian Toothill had died. The personal trainer was 48 and had metastatic bowel cancer. Last June, while stage 4, Toothill reached the summit of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. I interviewed his support team – he was hard to reach at the various alpine base camps – for a magazine feature I did for CURE about why some people find a cancer diagnosis an inspiration to do something radical.
I was gobsmacked to think of any cancer patient trying to climb Mt. Everest, but especially one with terminal disease. When I was nearing the end of my chemo for stage 1 breast cancer, I had a hard time climbing the stairs, much less a mountain.
I've been thinking a lot about Toothill in the last few weeks. Why would he push himself like that? Why do the rest of us admire these kinds of crazy stunts so much?
I've been thinking a lot about Toothill in the last few weeks. Why would he push himself like that? Why do the rest of us admire these kinds of crazy stunts so much?
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