2008 Woodie Awards
Deaf mountaineer Heidi Zimmer lectures on 'Seven Summits'
Dan Kittredge
Issue date: 4/23/04 Section: News
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Zimmer, who was born deaf and also suffers from the vision-impairing Usher's syndrome, utilized a slide presentation and the help of a translator to address the audience. She is currently touring colleges in the area giving similar presentations.
The Seven Summits" Zimmer addressed in her lecture are the highest peaks on each of the world's continents, including North America's Mt. McKinley, Europe's Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and Asia's Mt. Everest. The concept of climbing all seven was introduced by two wealthy men who authored a book entitled "Seven Summits," which documented their own experiences. In the years since, 75 people have followed them up the seven peaks.
Zimmer has already conquered three of the peaks - McKinley, Elbrus and Kilimanjaro - and is the first deaf woman to have climbed each. She is currently seeking the funding and sponsorship necessary to complete her goals of scaling all seven. If she does complete her goal, she will become the first woman to do so.
Zimmer's lecture began with an overview of basic mountain-related geography and of the "Seven Summits" concept. She then delved into the roots of her passion for climbing, sharing a number of anecdotes from her childhood related to the subject. In one, she recalled climbing atop her childhood home in Tempe, Arizona, much to her mother's horror. "I believe that's where my passion for climbing began," said Zimmer.
Among other important influences Zimmer cited were the movie "Heidi," the "never give up" ethic her parents taught her, and deaf role models who provided her with the inspiration to achieve. "Heidi," she said, was especially influential, given she shared a name with the film's major character, as was a deaf professor she had while at college who urged her to become a deaf mountaineer role model.
She also noted the role of her own athleticism in her decision to pursue mountaineering. Zimmer has won a bronze medal in the Deaf Olympics, participated in sports such as volleyball and track and ridden her bicycle from Washington, D.C. to California during college.
Zimmer described the process of becoming a mountaineer as a gradual, step-by-step one. She said the initial stages included backpacking trips and outdoors survival courses, followed by endurance training by biking and real outdoors experience with the Sierra Club.
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