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Born in England, Tom Whittaker came to the United States in 1975 and earned Masters of Arts degree. His dream was to be a professional mountaineer and he traveled throughout the United States and Canada climbing many different types of rock walls. However, on Thanksgiving day in 1979, a car lost control and swerved into his lane, striking his vehicle head on. Tom was in critical condition for five days. Multiple fractures and injuries to both legs and feet resulted in the removal of one of his kneecaps, and the amputation of his right foot.
It wasn't easy, but after a lot of hard work, Tom rebuilt his strength, and his life. Eventually he earned another Master's degree and founded the Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group (C.W.HOG). This innovative program's success sent Tom around the world to spread his message that "it is not the falling down, but the getting back up that matters". He became a professor in Adventure Education at Prescott College in Arizona, where he taught the top outdoor leadership program in the nation.
After 25 years of experience as a mountaineer, on May 27, 1998 Whittaker achieved his greatest accomplishment so far: reaching the peak of Mt. Everest. This had been a lifelong dream and he was determined not to let go of it just because he lost his foot. Tom was actually the first person with a disability, the first amputee, to ever climb and stand on the summit of Mt. Everest. He realizes that reaching the peak of Mt. Everest can do nothing to change his disability, but it can do a lot to change attitudes. Tom Whittaker wants people to realize that disability is as much attitude as it is a condition.
To learn more about Tom Whittaker, visit the following web site:
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Tom Whittaker (1949? - ) is yet another amazing example of a Can Do! person. As you'll discover, he found him faced with some incredible obstacles and challenges, but didn't let them get in the way of reading his dreams.
