Okay, so you may be wondering, who is THIS guy, and what has he got to do with Expedition Everest?
He is Sibusiso Vilane, a man Nelson Mandela dubs a “real hero.” Former president Thabo Mbeki reveled in the pride felt by all South Africans upon the recognition of Sibu’s astounding feats: he has summited the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents- with a double summit of Mt. Everest from both the North and South sides-as well as reaching the North and South Poles on foot, the explorer’s ‘Grand Slam’! He is an inspiration to us all as he continues to set himself huge challenges, and does so with grace and always with a philanthropic goal in mind. In 2005, when he climbed Everest for the second time, he successfully raised $40,000 for children’s charities. Needless to say, he understands what drives us, just as we understand what drives him.
Naturally, we were anxious to have him on the selection committee that is tasked with finding the Kenyan climber who will join us on our 2014 climb to the top of Everest. We are thrilled that Sibusiso agreed to join us in Kenya this July to help us find the man or woman who will become our teammate! We could not be more pleased to be working beside him as we have a shared vision to change the world, one adventure at a time. Sibu says, “You’ve got to dream and then you have to set out to achieve that dream. There will always be challenges, but it’s about being persistent and not giving up.” We couldn’t agree more.
For more information on Sibusiso Vilane, visit his webpage at www.sibusisovilane.com
