This week’s How I See It interview is a little different. Rather than hear from one fellow midlife male, we’re going to share the thoughts of several men in our Midlife Male Inner Circle who recently flew with MLM founder Greg Scheinman to Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, Canada to compete in the 29029 Everest challenge.

If you’re not familiar, the challenge involves hiking up a mountain over and over again until your cumulative elevation totals the height of the summit at Mt. Everest: 29,029 feet.

In this case, that would be 15 ascents with one catch: they must be completed in 36 hours.

As co-founder Jesse Itzler and Marc Hodulich write on the website, “More than an event, 29029 is a community of people who believe that overcoming obstacles reveals the best in each of us. Your fellow climbers will push you to do things you didn’t think you could. This is a new category of challenge that’s equal parts physical, mental, and spiritual… Do you have the heart and will to climb the mountain again and again until you earn the right to say you ‘Everested’?” 

We’re proud to say that ‘yes’, we had the heart, as all MLM participants met their personal goals and the majority completed the entire grueling climb, which included massive temperature drops, fierce wind and strong rain that kept many others from finishing over the final six hours to earn their “Red Hats”. Here are some thoughts on the accomplishment from the men in our Midlife Male community who gutted it out for this week’s How I See It. We asked each of them the same three questions:

John Snipes – Managing Director and Partner, BCG

John Snipes, right, and wife Sarah Herse, left.

When the rain was pouring and the wind was whipping and conditions were most brutal, what did you learn about yourself that surprised you?

I learned to lean into adversity! The rain and mud made the last few rounds more challenging but also more rewarding.

What was your one moment on the mountain that you couldn’t wait to tell your family about?

Crossing the finish line together on Saturday in the rain was awesome and something to remember

Was there a mantra or mindset you started the climb with that you no longer believe in? Or was a mantra or mindset reinforced for you by finishing?

Not a mindset per se, but it was a good reminder of the power of motivation and teaming. The 29029 team and the group Greg organized were powerful motivators to keep going and do something that I think would be near impossible on your own without that infrastructure and setup (not from a physical standpoint but from a motivational one).

Sterling Hawkins, writer, entrepreneur and keynote speaker 

Sterling Hawkins, left.

When the rain was pouring and the wind was whipping and conditions were most brutal, what did you learn about yourself that surprised you?

I found so much gratitude for how I can show up for myself and show up for others through tremendous adversity. I knew it — but the gratitude I felt for it in that moment surprised me. 

What was your one moment on the mountain that you couldn’t wait to tell your family about?

2am. Starting Lap 13. Out of gas. Raining, alone, exhausted, everything in me wanted to stop. And started the lap anyway. 

Was there a mantra or mindset you started the climb with that you no longer believe in? Or was a mantra or mindset reinforced for you by finishing?

You know it: No Matter What. What’s funny is that it started as my personal mantra — was never originally meant for anyone. I just share about it these days :). And it still gets me through anything.

Brett Eaton – High Performance Speaker & Coach

Brett Eaton, far left, and wife Anne Mahlum, second from left.

When the rain was pouring and the wind was whipping and conditions were most brutal, what did you learn about yourself that surprised you?

Two things, one of my favorite lines (and one that Jesse reminded us in his opening speech), “expect it to be hard.” When your expectation is that it will get hard, when it eventually does, you aren’t surprised, and you are ready to dig even deeper to overcome the challenge. Number two is that no matter how hard it gets, the best and simplest strategy is still to focus on one step at a time. 

What was your one moment on the mountain that you couldn’t wait to tell your family about?

Definitely the midnight hiking. How dark, how quiet, how you couldn’t see anything more than a few steps in front of you, and how oddly peaceful and enjoyable it was. No headphones, only my tired body and present mind. Just an incredible experience. 

Was there a mantra or mindset you started the climb with that you no longer believe in? Or was a mantra or mindset reinforced for you by finishing?

I go right back to my answer to question 1: Expect it to be hard (which is actually the title of a chapter in my book that’s launching soon). 

That mantra has never let me down because when I expect it to be hard, I’m rarely shocked when it’s hard or harder than I expected. The only thing I will add is how at peace I am when I am off my phone, disconnected, and fully present out in nature. Even while in some physical discomfort, the beautiful views and opportunity put me in a state of enjoyment and peace. There is definitely a recipe there for what really leaves us feeling fulfilled. 

Matthew Dicker

Matt Dicker, far left, and wife Jacqui Ross Handler, second from left.

When the rain was pouring and the wind was whipping and conditions were most brutal, what did you learn about yourself that surprised you?

My attitude was gratitude. I thought to myself, “How cool is this that I get to experience this hike in the rain?” I inverted the problem and made it a pleasure. It really didn’t bother me because you know it’s only temporary.

What was your one moment on the mountain that you couldn’t wait to tell your family about?

Yes, it was the finish. The culmination of all the hard work and training, the risk of doing something so hard and challenging, and the actual accomplishment. The payoff of finishing was so profound that you quickly realize you can’t truly capture the actual enormity of the distance we climbed and how long it took, but you do your best to share the feeling of the accomplishment.

Was there a mantra or mindset you started the climb with that you no longer believe in? Or was a mantra or mindset reinforced for you by finishing?

I always knew I had the resolve to finish the climb as long as my body didn’t break down. I didn’t have a mantra guiding me, but I was guided by resolve to finish what I started.

My one big takeaway from this event was that you can’t outrun the clock. You can take that with you in all parts of your life. There is no other time than right now to live your best life, and don’t put off to tomorrow what can be done today because the clock will always win.

And one more thought on goals

Goals are not meant to be comfortable. Brushing your teeth is not a goal. 

Goals are meant to push you and intentionally be just out of reach to make you strive and work for them. That’s what makes achieving your goals so sweet. 

I kept that in my head throughout the climb and promised myself not to compromise on my goals.

Credit: Evan Wishloff