Tyler Armstrong knew he wanted to climb mountains from the age six.

TYLER ARMSTRONG knew he wanted to climb from the young age of six and with the help of his family has gone to conquer much including reaching the summit of Mt. Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Western and Southern hemispheres.

Next on Tyler’s wishlist is Everest and despite training and preparing for the climb the authorities won’t let him do it because of his age. 

Read on to find out about what is giving this young boy the drive to reach the peak of the world’s greatest mountain and the disadvantaged children he wants to help on the way.

When did you first realize you had a passion for the outdoors and climbing?

I wanted to start climbing because when I was six I watched a nature documentary on the Great Divide. What was interesting about that documentary was that you hiked all the way from Canada to Mexico. The next night I told my parents I wanted to start hiking. About a month later, after doing some workouts, it was time for my first hike!

My first hike was about six miles and I could climb only to about 5,000 feet elevation, but at that time it was very challenging for me.

About a week, later I told my dad that I wanted to do something bigger. We went on the Internet and found more mountains that I was ready for. After climbing other local mountains and longer distances for six months, I was ready for Mt. Whitney. I then really had the bug to climb. Now I wanted to climb as high as I could possibly go. I kept finding higher mountains and after conquering them, I looked for my next higher adventure.

Tyler pictured training for his ultimate goal – to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

What have been your biggest accomplishments to date?

My biggest accomplishment to date is climbing Mt. Aconcagua. It is the highest mountain in the Western and Southern hemispheres. It is 22,841 feet high and is the second highest mountains of the Seven Summits. It took working out for over a year and a half to get ready. I had to go to court in Argentina to get the climbing permit. What made me most proud is that everyone said that I was too young and couldn’t climb it. However, at age 9, I proved them all wrong and set a new World Record.

How much support do you get from your family and how important are they in your success and achievements?

I get a lot of support from my family because they are very proud of me for accomplishing my goals and that I really want to help other kids in need. My dad has to take the classes with me, hike with me, and suffer with me in the cold. He was not a climber until I started doing this sport. My mum and dad take time away from the things they want to do so that I can climb mountains. They don’t take vacations unless it is where I am climbing. They save their money to help pay for my climbing rather than doing other things that they may need or want. My little brother Dylan is always helping me when I give speeches and is very supportive of me. My parents are very supportive of me because they always tell me to try to reach my goals and if I fail, they always encourage me to try again.

Tyler met Josh Brolin at the premier of Everest the movie.

Tell us about your ambition to become the youngest person to climb Mount Everest and why you chose to raise money to Cure Duchene?

The challenge I have had in being such a young mountaineer is getting the permits. Most mountains have age requirements and will not let young people climb. However, I think that this is ridiculous. There are not many kids out there who want to climb Mt. Everest, or the rest of the high altitude mountains in the world. First, it takes a lot of training to climb these mountains. I have taken classes and mountaineering courses. I have been training for over five years and have professional guides who are training me. It is really sad that my abilities, training, and desire to climb these mountains are discriminated against just because of my age. Age is really just a number. My abilities and experience should be the test, not a number. Finally, to climb these mountains it takes a lot of dedication. The workouts are long and tough. Climbing these mountains is extremely cold and windy. The days are long, tiring, and being out at night with very little sleep. The situations are constantly changing and I have to adapt. It is dealing with the suffering and knowing how to handle it and continue on. All of these things make mountaineering difficult but I love the challenge.

Again, there cannot be many kids who want to and can deal with all of these things to climb Mt. Everest. I chose to raise money to Cure Duchenne because I met a boy with Duchenne at a barbecue. He was not able to run and play like me. They do a hike every year to raise money and I wanted to help because I love to climb. I then became friends with a few of the boys in my area who have Duchenne.

I love to climb big mountains, and decided that I can use my abilities to help kids with Duchenne who can’t climb. Their muscles don’t grow back and they have to use wheelchairs. They can’t play sports and can’t see the top of the world. I hate that they can’t do normal kid things, and that the disease shortens their lives. My friends with the disease motivate me to keep climbing when I get tired. My climbing is a way that I can help them out by raising money to cure their disease. I want my friends to climb or hike with me, and reach a summit with me.

Tyler pictured during his first hiking experience – the Mount Whitney Trail.

How can people get behind you and where can they donate to the cause?

There are a few places to follow me. To donate go to www.crowdrise.com/climbtocureduchenne. The website about what I am doing for Cure Duchenne is thttp://climbtocureduchenne.org. However, on my most up to date activities people can follow me at www.facebook.com/TopWithTyler.

How much are you currently training and how much more work must you put in before you are ready for the climb?

I am currently in the peak of my training. I jog on the treadmill for 30 minutes – usually 2.5 to three miles each day. Then in the evening times, when I do not have sports training/practices, I work out on an incline treadmill for 45 minutes with a heavy backpack. In the evening time, I also do a core muscle workout four about 25 minutes to strengthen my abs and lower back muscles to help carry my backpack.