Victory is within sight.-Contributed
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The world knows that, anything Jamaicans do, we do big. And we're never afraid to step boldly into unfamiliar territory. Sure, we dominate sprints and have produced legends in cricket. Well, our sights are also set on other arenas. This week, we present the final part of our two-part series, shinning the spotlight on fearless Jamaicans making in unconventional activities. From climbing to racing down fearsome slopes, these Jamaicans prove that, no matter the challenge, the Jamaican spirit will overcome. Read on to be inspired.
Jamaica-born Rohan Freeman is part of the exclusive 7 Summits Club, meaning he has climbed the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. He talks to Outlook about what it takes to complete this remarkable
Outlook (O): You were born in Jamaica and attended Cornwall College. As a boy at school, were you at all interested in , or did that only come about after you left Jamaica?
Rohan Freeman (RF): I emigrated to the States right after school. Growing up, I was a typical Jamaican kid with a passion for soccer, cricket, and track and field. I ran track at Cornwall College and actually went to Champs. I was never into mountaineering and had no idea that there was such a thing. But as a boy growing up in the country, I was always curious about what was on the other side of the hill, and what was in the bushes, so I did a lot of exploration with my friends. When I came to the US, and after college, I worked a lot and I got to a cross-roads in my life.
I was hibernating in winter and needed to figure out a way to deal with that. It meant either moving to a warmer climate or finding a way to deal with winter and staying closer to my family. My girlfriend and I took a snowboarding trip for a week and that was the beginning of learning to live with winter. Once I realised how much fun it can be to play outside in the winter, I couldn't get enough. I started , hiking, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, winter camping, backpacking, and the list goes on. Some friends I did adventure racing with invited me to climb Kilimanjaro with them, and the rest is history.
O: There is something remarkable about completing the 'seven summits' that even persons who have no real familiarity with mountaineering can appreciate. What does it mean to you?
RF: Climbing the seven summits is a great accomplishment, even in my eyes. Most people are flabbergasted by it, even more than I am. I don't consider myself special. The seven summits were a means to an end. It was a way to travel the world with a purpose and see, not only the cities and main tourist attractions, but also the most remote parts of the world, and experience the cultures and people. It's one of many achievements that I've set for my life. For example, graduating from college is huge for me in that I'm the first person in my family to actually do that. Starting my business and growing it is also a remarkable achievement. To be able to do these things means a lot to me. The more I accomplish, the more I want to accomplish, and my dreams start to get bigger. The bigger they get, the more realistic they become. Success breeds success!
O: Which climb was the most difficult for you, and why?
RF: Each climb has its own sets of challenges that must be dealt with. You can't take anything for granted. However, I would say climbing Mount Everest was the most difficult because of the combination of difficulties to overcome such as altitude, the time commitment, the technical aspects of the climb, among other things. It's just very different, it's like you're living away from home for an extended period. It's also pretty mentally demanding over the course of two months, so you have to be on for most of that time. Everest has varying weather patterns - from summer in Kathmandu to full-on winter in the mountains, landscapes from tropical to arctic, and difficulty levels ranging from easy to seriously technical climbing. And from flatlands to seriously high altitude with crazy exposures at dizzying heights. You start the trek to base camp in shorts and T-shirt and, as you go up, it starts to get colder and colder over the course of a week and a half to two weeks. Above base camp, you're travelling on a glacier with very dangerous conditions. It's all ice and snow and very steep. The ice-fall is also pretty dangerous and sometimes you just can't even see your way and there's no way to bail out to safety.
O: During a climb, I imagine there are countless instances where you're tempted to just give up. What do you think about in these moments to keep you going?
RF: For me, the biggest fear in my life is failure. I know what it's like to go home and sit on the couch having not completed a task that I set out to do. That's not a good feeling. So I always dig deep, as deep as I need to go to overcome my fears. I previously had a fear of heights and it took a lot to overcome that, but my fear of failure is such that I can overcome anything if I think I'm going to fail. When you're on the mountain climbing, you always have doubts, so you know you have to keep telling yourself that you can do it. I want to prove it to myself, so I'm my own worst critic. I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone else but me. I know it's difficult to live with myself if I fail at something knowing that I could have succeeded, so it motivates me to dig deep. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't give enough.
O: Did your final climb (to complete the seven summits) give you more joy than the first? Or is the first always the greatest?
RF: My first climb was Kilimanjaro, and I have to tell you, that just kind of set off the avalanche for me, wanting to climb other high mountains. I was euphoric when I got done climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The last climb was enjoyable because I was doing what I love to do and being outside, but I can't say it approached the feeling of climbing the first time. It was more relief that I had accomplished the seven summits safely.
O: You are widely described as the first 'African American' to complete the seven summits. Do you think that Jamaicans appreciate the importance of what you and other Jamaica-born mountaineers are doing? If not, how can we change that?
RF: I consider myself the first Jamaican/African-American to have completed the seven summits. I think this task is difficult for Jamaicans to grasp and I think it's even difficult for African-Americans to understand what it takes to complete this. The combination of logistics, physical stamina and mental focus makes for a significant challenge. History dictates the significance of summiting Everest. But I don't think Jamaicans quite understand the magnitude of the feat. As for how we change that? That's the question I don't quite know the answer to. If we can find a way to get somebody to identify with what it really and truly takes and how difficult the task is, I think then they could identify with it. We like the Olympics because we understand the training, the dedication it requires. You have to dedicate your life in order to qualify for the Olympics, so it's very similar for mountaineering. I'm trying to write a book that I'll target to a diverse audience and surely I hope to have that book reach Jamaicans in and outside of Jamaica, and hopefully it will help them to understand what it takes, especially for somebody who grew up in the tropics.
O: What's next on your 'to-do' list where mountaineering is concerned? Have you now done all there is to do?
RF: I wouldn't say that I have done all there is to do in mountaineering. I would like to pursue beautiful and technical mountains. Climbing K2, which is considered the most technically challenging mountain and the second highest mountain in the world, is on my list. I also want to climb other technically difficult and challenging mountains and maybe a few other 8,000m peaks. Those are peaks that are above 26,000 feet, known as the dead zone.
O: What do your loved ones think about your lifestyle? Do they constantly worry about you?
RF: My family and friends know know that this is what I love to do and they are all very understanding. I try not to give them a lot to worry about. They know that I'm a safe person and I'm not afraid to turn back if the conditions are not right. I try to check in every so often when I travel. I do some crazy things but I'm not crazy. I'm a pretty safe person. But they also know that I'm very driven and I love a challenge. I love to exercise and work out and I'll travel anywhere in this world for a good adventure.