Erik Weihenmayer Delivered Keynote Address at NABP's 98th Annual Meeting

May 28, 2002 12:00 AM

Erik Weihenmayer, considered by many to be the most versatile blind athlete in the world, delivered the keynote address at the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) 98th Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 19, 2002, in Phoenix, Ariz. The event was sponsored by Abbott Laboratories, Inc.

Erik Weihenmayer received national attention for scaling Mt Everest, which at 29,035 ft, is the highest peak in the world. Weihenmayer, who has been completely blind since he was 13 years old, is on the fast track to becoming one of the youngest people in the world to climb the famed Seven Summits. Besides Everest, he scaled Mt McKinley in 1995, El Capitan in 1996, Mt Kilimanjaro in 1997, and concagua in 1999. Despite the limitations imposed by retinoschisis, a condition that causes the gradual deterioration of the retina, Weihenmayer has been an overachiever throughout his life.

Weihenmayer's accomplishments have earned him numerous awards, including Connecticut's Most Courageous Athlete Award, ESPN's ARETE Award for courage in sports, the Gene Autry Award, and the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch. Recently, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Glaucoma Foundation.

Courtney Karzen