The Challenge of a Lifetime

IRVINE, Calif., March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Aiming to be the first person ever with Brachial Plexus Palsy to climb Mt. Everest and all of the Seven Summits (the highest mountain on each continent around the world), Paul Fejtek along with his wife Denise are getting closer to realizing their dreams while seeing to it that the dreams of others are fulfilled as well.  What started as a small group of supportive friends and family has turned into much broader participation by many in an initiative known as the Everybody to Everest Challenge.  These individuals are about to set off on an exciting charity trek to the Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas, which will coincide with Paul & Denise's attempt to reach the 29,029 foot summit of the earth's highest peak.  All members of the team have been training for their high-altitude adventure to Nepal at the same time raising funds for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization who provides grants for prosthetic limbs and specialized equipment enabling those with physical disabilities the opportunity to pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. So far, the Everybody to Everest participants have raised over $80,000 towards their ultimate goal of $290,290 ($10 for every foot in elevation to the summit of Mt. Everest).

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100329/LA77564)

"I remember as a child trying to figure out how to tie my shoes or button my shirt with one hand or play sports with all of the other kids - it was a real challenge," Paul recalls. "And now I'm about to attempt climbing the highest mountain in the world with my wife by my side and 23 friends pushing themselves up to Base Camp at 17,500 feet (a significant accomplishment in itself) while everybody is doing something incredibly worthwhile for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. The whole thing is just so exhilarating, surreal, and something for which I am quite proud," says Paul.

Paul lives in Orange County, California where his is a Managing Director of Hunter Wise Financial Group, LLC, http://www.hunterwise.com, a specialized investment bank providing corporate financing, merger, acquisition, divestiture and advisory services.  Paul wholeheartedly believes that courage, creativity, and perseverance are the magical ingredients that can help each and every one of us overcome any adversity standing in the way of our dreams, whatever they may be.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation was founded in 1997 and has raised more than $25 million and has provided in excess of 4,500 grants to deserving athletes including among others, U.S. Paralympians and American soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.  To learn more about the Everybody to Everest Challenge or to make a donation on behalf of Paul & Denise or one of the team members, please visit: http://www.everybodytoeverest.com.

SOURCE Hunter Wise Securities, LLC