Everesting For Men’s Health

Mike Stewart is a lifelong cyclist and absolutely loves climbing hills. He’s always looking for the biggest, most epic climbs in any given area when he travels – he loves the challenge and the feeling of adventure and accomplishment when he completes them.

One of the toughest challenges that Mike takes on in his cycling endeavors is known as Everesting. Everesting is when you do hill repeats on the same climb until you have climbed 29,029 feet, or the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest. “The challenge itself is about perseverance and pushing yourself to your physical, mental, and spiritual limit. It takes everything you have to get it done and the task seems impossible when you think about it.”

This year, the challenge took on new meaning as Mike and his buddies Karsten Hagen and Shawn Remy attempted to Everest on the climb to Lake Del Valle in Livermore, CA in an effort to raise awareness for prostate cancer. Karsten was diagnosed twice with prostate cancer in the last ten years – once in 2011, after which he had a prostatectomy, and again in 2015, which was followed by radiation treatment. His friend had no family history of the disease and did not show symptoms, yet his doctors were able to diagnose him at the age of 43 as a result of a PSA test. 

“Watching him go through the process was tough and when I learned that he had no symptoms that really struck me. So I wanted to get the word out about getting tested and the benefits of early diagnosis. I know many men have a tendency to push through pain and are often not proactive about their health.”

Through their Everesting attempt, their main goal was to get men to get annual checkups and PSA tests, as well as to raise $10,000 with their employer Giant Bicycles in support of Movember. Karsten set a personal best for climbing that day of just over 18,000 feet, while Shawn climbed over 26,000 feet before having to call it quits due to sickness. Mike ended up completing his attempt in the darkness: “I’m hopeful that it will inspire others to seek out their own personal Everest in their life and go get it.”

You can support Mike’s Everesting attempt on his Mo Space.