[JoeProBono]

Johnny Strange, 17, Is Youngest Person To Conquer World's 7 Summits

On June 9, 17-year-old Johnny Strange of Malibu, California successfully reached the summit of Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko, concluding a journey he started when was only twelve -- conquering the world’s seven summits.

Upon reaching the final summit Johnny sent an email to friends and family saying, “"Never let anyone stifle your dreams no matter the feat, for if you have the heart and the courage, impossible is nothing."

When Johnny first set out to climb Mt. Vinson, one of the world’s seven summits, he was a hardheaded 12-year-old kid with something to prove. Five years later, what started out as a challenge, turned into a goal, and has since become a life altering experience for him. In addition to completing the seven summits, a feat many climbers set out to try to achieve, Johnny is now the youngest in the world to have actually done it.

[South40]

I hear truck surfing is popular also.

[sinanju]

Everest and Aconcagua are the only really formidable mountains amongst the seven. And that’s mainly the extreme altitude rather than any technical demands.

The challenge with Mt. Vinson, Antarctica is in the getting there.

It sounds like our boy is a serious adrenaline junkie who likes to risk his neck for the hell of it. I wouldn’t want to sell him life insurance.

[garyhope]

I’m more impressed by the woman interviewing him. Now THERE are some mountains to climb!

[laxcoach]

Is it just me, or does his arms look strange? They look abnormally tapered in the forearms. I wonder if it is the angle of the photo or the nature of the athletics he’s been doing.

Also, any parent who “let’s” their 12 year old start that journey is probably pushing the idea. You could make a strong argument that having a kid climb some of these peaks is child endangerment.

[kcvl]

I could introduce him to the family of a kid who tried the same thing. They buried him his senior year of high school after he fell face first on the highway.

[Tramonto]

She has man hands.

[blowfish]

Let me be the lone person to congratulate the dude for showing the drive and determination to do something that difficult. It’s easy for all the keyboard warriors to criticize him, but there’s not a person on this board who could match the feat. This guy clearly doesn’t live behind a keyboard or an Xbox.
Once upon a time, we admired young Americans who did difficult, crazy things just for the hell of it. I guess those days have passed.

[camle]

he’s got a tough act to follow: where does he go from here? after climbing all them mountains, and being on all them TV shows, it can’t be easy going back into teenage mode.