IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - Heart transplant recipient Kelly Perkins will be adding the Grand Teton and a Teton Range Traverse to her list of climbing accomplishments in August of 2009.
Since receiving her new heart in 1995 she has climbed peaks around the world including Mount Whitney (1997), Mount Fuji (1998), Mount Kilimanjaro (2001), The Matterhorn (2003), El Capitan (2005), and Half Dome (Face) (2008).
Kelly and her husband Craig will bring her inspiring message to Idaho Falls, Idaho on August 18, 2009 for a book signing at Barnes & Noble at 2:00-5:00 p.m. She will give a public appearance at the Colonial Theater at 7:30 p.m. recounting her experiences as a heart transplant patient and climber with a full slide show, and offering lessons on courage (“living without nerves”), overcoming obstacles (“focus on the step not the stumble”), and maintaining one’s dreams (“scaling mountains with a borrowed heart”).
The Teton Range traverse will occur on August 19-22 with a climb of the Grand Teton (“Stand on the Grand for Organ Donation”) occurring on August 21, 2009 under the auspices of Exum Mountain Guides of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Other support is being provided by the outdoor equipment firms Marmot, Oakley, Sportline, Camelbak, and HydraCoach.
Kelly will be accompanied by five cardiac rehabilitation nurses from the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center on the Grand summit. Lecture and climb arrangements are being coordinated by Committed Hearts, Inc., of Idaho Falls, Idaho, a 501(c)(3) non-profit heart patient advocacy program.
To learn more about Kelly’s story see her book, “The Climb of My Life”, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (2007), or her website www.craigandkelly.com.
Both events will promote the causes of organ donation and heart health, with emphasis on encouraging all Americans to register as organ and tissue donors.
Contact: Further details as to press availability opportunities will be released as the climb date approaches. For more information regarding her Idaho Falls appearances and Grand Teton climbs contact Committed Hearts, Inc., Russell E. Webb, President, P.O. Box 51536, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83405, telephone 208-529-4514, or email to rwebblaw@ida.net
To learn more about Exum Mountain Guides, visit their website at http://www.exumguides.com/
