You are currently in 4-4/Sports  

He was man who described himself as “an ordinary person with ordinary qualities,” yet the world admired and respected him as though he were a superhero. Generosity, meekness, and ambition all characterized his approach to life. He was a writer, speaker, and part-time beekeeper. What does any of this have to do with sports, you may ask? He was also the first adventurer who conquered Mt. Everest: Sir Edmund Hillary, the humble conqueror of the world’s highest peak.

 

Despite surmounting the mammoth Mt. Everest, Sir Edmund--or “Sir Ed”--was prouder of setting up schools, medical health centers, reforestation programs, and airfields. Besides his climbing feats, he was known for his charity. Each year, he raised approximately $250,000 for the impecunious country of Nepal. After raising $530,000 for the Himalayan Trust by endorsing his name on 1,000 new five-dollar bills in 1982, Sir Ed became even more known for his generosity. Though world-renowned, he retained his sense of generosity and remained caring enough to help the hurting people of the world.

 

Humbleness was a key virtue of Sir Ed. Instead of taking the credit for being the first to scale Mt. Everest, he said that his guide also stepped upon the top at the same time, giving him just as much credit. He described himself as a “modest New Zealander with modest abilities.” The New Zealand Prime Minister stated that he was a lot more than just “modest.” Instead, “[i]n reality, he was a colossus.” An ESPN feature article on Hillary stated that he “maintained his reputation for humbleness while working to aid the impoverished people of Nepal.” This man was a giant in moral stature and truly knew what it took to be humble.

 

Ambition was the utmost tool that propelled Sir Ed to fame. His close friend asserted that, “We all have dreams—but Ed has dreams, then he’s got this incredible drive, and goes ahead and does it.” Ed’s ambition drove him to greatness. He led many expeditions up some of the world’s scariest mountains without ever losing a man on any of his journeys. His drive and determination to climb Mt. Everest and his motivation to help dig Nepal out of the hole they were in as a country both were utterly tremendous. Ambition led Ed’s life up to the apex of Mt. Everest and to earning the world's respect.

 

He climbed Mt. Everest, helped fund millions of dollars in charity to Nepal, and is known as the greatest New Zealander in history. Scaling Mt. Everest brought him fame, but what brought him popularity were his generosity, humility, and ambition. Edmund Hillary will be forever remembered as a giant among men and should be carried on as a legend in history.

 

Print       E-mail      

Giant Among Men I Am a Loser