12-Year-Old Tyler Armstrong Conquers Mt. Denali
Tyler’s Summit of Denali is the Fourth in His Seven Summits
Campaign to Cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#CureDuchenne–On June 23, 12-year-old Tyler Armstrong reached the summit of Mt.
Denali, becoming the sixth youngest person to do, and coming one step
closer to his goal of completing the Seven Summits in his Climb
to CureDuchenne effort. This is Armstrong’s fourth of the seven
summits and he is planning to complete Mt. Kosciuszko later this summer,
leaving only Mt. Everest and Mt. Vinson to finish all seven.
Armstrong climbs for those who can’t – the more than 300,000 boys around
the world who battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy and hopes to raise a
million dollars to help CureDuchenne
find a cure for this fatal genetic disease.
“It was a tough mountain and I could not believe how much weight we had
to carry. When I got tired, I just thought of the boys with Duchenne,
and it pushed me harder. I’m proud to have climbed Denali for all of
those with Duchenne because they face struggles everyday. I look forward
to climbing even tougher mountains,” said Tyler Armstrong.
Joined by his father Kevin Armstrong, his long time guide Lhawang
Dhondup, and the guides of Alaska Mountaineering School, Tyler trekked
18 days through the grueling Alaskan mountain range. While battling
brutally cold weather, high winds and dangerous dropoffs, Tyler and his
team advanced to Denali’s summit on June 23rd reaching an
elevation of 20,310 feet, the highest mountain peak in North America.
“I was so happy to be able to summit on my first try because only 58
percent of people who climb Denali actually summit each year,” Armstrong
said. “During the expedition, I got a chance meet some well known
climbers. It was really special for me to be taken in and treated as
part of the Denali climbing family.”
After his climb, Tyler Armstrong met with a family living in Alaska
whose seven-year-old son struggles with Duchenne to offer his support
and encouragement. Armstrong began climbing for boys with Duchenne
several years ago with the goal of raising money to find a cure.
Duchenne, which is found mainly in boys, is a fatal genetic disease that
causes muscle degeneration, leaving boys progressively weaker. Most boys
with Duchenne lose their ability to walk by their mid-teens and most do
not live past their mid-20s. There is currently no cure for the deadly
disease but pharmaceutical treatments are advancing.
“The intense physical and mental challenges that Tyler overcomes on
every mountain he summits for CureDuchenne is so much like the hurdles
and challenges each young boy with Duchenne faces every day,” said Debra
Miller, CEO and founder of CureDuchenne. “The entire Duchenne community
is so proud of Tyler, and we are humbled by his courage and desire to
help our sons who battle this devastating disease.”
Tyler holds numerous climbing records, including being the youngest to
summit to Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina and the second youngest to summit
Mt. Kilimanjaro. Donations to help find a cure for Duchenne can be made
at www.crowdrise.com/climbtocureduchenne.
About CureDuchenne
CureDuchenne
is a national nonprofit organization located in Newport Beach, Calif.,
dedicated to finding a cure for Duchenne, the most common and most
lethal form of muscular dystrophy. As the leading genetic killer of
young boys, Duchenne affects more than 300,000 boys worldwide. With the
help of CureDuchenne’s distinguished panel of Scientific Advisors, funds
raised by CureDuchenne support the most promising research aimed at
treating and curing Duchenne. To date, nine CureDuchenne research
projects have advanced into human clinical trials.
Contacts
for CureDuchenne
Barbara Caruso, 714/328-3273
Barbara@c-squaredpr.com
