I received this over the Memorial Day weekend and found it a short, inspirational story of determination. One worth sharing. I am sure such stories happen often everywhere, they renew our beliefs in each other.

I have posted it below unedited, as I don’t see any way to improve upon it.

14-year Old Boy Climbs a Mountain Alongside Adventure App Creator

April 24, 2019 – At 6:15 am on Easter Sunday, 14-year old Getúlio Felipe, who has cerebral palsy, began climbing the highest mountain in the Dolomites, Italy to prove that anything is possible and that the outdoors are accessible to everyone. After nine straight hours of battling deep snowpack, cold weather and physical exhaustion, Getúlio reached the top of the Punta Penia peak, a glacier reaching 3,343-meters (10,968 feet).

Accompanying Getúlio on this journey were Pedro McCardell, creator of the Lyfx app, an app for that conects travelers to local guides, Alessio Nardellotto, an experienced climber from the Dolomites, Alberto Benchimol and Stefano Fabris, who worked as a separate support team for safety and image capture.

The desire to climb a mountain came a few years ago when Pedro McCardell, mountaineer and creator of the Lyfx application, a kind of “Uber of Adventure,” which allows local guides in various parts of the world to connect with travelers in search of adventure and unique, personalized experiences, challenged him to climb a mountain.

Getúlio, who was only nine years old at the time and did not really know what kind of challenge awaited him, accepted it, and then the preparations began. Getúlio divided his time between studies, daily and physical activities, preparing his body and mind for the great adventure that awaited him.

The young man has been overcoming challenges since he was born. After a cardiorespiratory arrest at birth (which caused cerebral palsy), doctors believed that Getulio could never walk. Contrary to all the diagnoses, Getúlio began to take his first steps at age 7, and from that moment on he didn’t stop anymore. He learned to play soccer, choosing the position of goalkeeper and integrating the school team, and even met his great idol: the German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

His most recent achievement, the climb of Marmolada, the highest mountain of the Dolomites in Italy, was only possible thanks to the union of Pedro McCardell, Alessio Nardellotto, experienced mountaineer of the region and leader of the expedition, the Unesco Education, Science and Culture) and the “Razões Para Viver” website (Reasons to Live, on a loose translation).

After 9 hours of climbing, and with several stops to check the health conditions of Getúlio, as well as some attempts to make him give up (all in vain), the team arrived at the top of the mountain, where Getulio sat looking at the view and said “what a good life”. No doubt this was a unique experience, not only for Getúlio, but also for Pedro McCardell, Alessio and all the others involved.

The whole adventure was documented, and the images will be used as part of a film about Getulio’s story, produced by Lyfx.

About Lyfx

Lyfx is an adventure platform that connects adventurers with local outdoor experts. The company is the brainchild of Pedro McCardell, an adventurer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, who saw the need to make the outdoors more accessible to everyone. Follow on Instagram @lyfx or visit lyfx.co.

Thanks, Rangel Jesuíno

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Editor’s Comment: Another guest submission from Scott Huntington to The Prepper Journal. A subject we have talked about in the past and with the Summer break coming some food for thought.

We all love the great outdoors, and it’s a great way to spend time bonding with your family. If you go out hiking as a family, do your kids know what to do if they get separated from the group? What about other survival situations — would your little ones know how to stay alive until help arrives? Everyone should know some basic survival skills, regardless of their age. Here are some easy ways to teach your children about survival skills.

Be Stealth About It

This is the best tip we can probably offer you. Be sneaky about teaching them survival skills, the “wax on, wax off” method per say. Don’t walk up to your kids — especially younger ones — all doom and gloom and tell them that you’re teaching them how to survive in case the world ends.

All you’ll manage to do is scare them to death, and they won’t remember anything you try to teach. Instead, be sneaky about it. Take notice of what interests your kids and play into their interests. Approach it as a game, if it helps.

Don’t — “Hey, let’s learn how to build a fire in case you’re stranded in the woods all alone.”

Do — “Hey, wanna learn how to build a fire?”

Don’t put the focus on survival. Instead, shift the focus to learning new skills. If your kids are ever alone in a survival situation, they’ll thank you for these comprehensive lessons.

Focus on the Rule of 3

This isn’t some mystical voodoo — just a simple rule to help your kids remember what they need to focus on in a survival situation.

Remind them that they can live:

Three weeks without food Three days without water Three minutes without air Three seconds without the right mindset.

From there, know your priorities — first, don’t panic. If you’re not swimming, you can skip the second one, focusing on water and food.

These aren’t the only things you need in the wilderness — fire, and shelter being among the most important — but reciting the rule a few times can help you get into a survival mindset.

One rule you should reinforce as often as possible is the Lost rule — if you get lost, you don’t move. You stay put and wait for someone to find you. Staying in one place makes it easier for search and rescue teams to find you, and could potentially save your life.

Get Out There

Kids aren’t going to learn how to survive in the wilderness if they spend all of their time sitting in front of video game consoles or televisions.

GET OUT THERE!

Take the family hiking or camping, and give your kids a practical application for all the skills they’ve learned. You should be there to supervise, especially if they’re trying their hands at foraging or fire building, but having a possible outlet for these new skills can help reinforce them in their young brains.

Make sure you have plenty of supplies on hand for these excursions, especially if you have younger children who aren’t up to building a fire or fishing for their dinner — or if the kid’s attempt to catch dinner falls through. Children of any age can benefit from regular camping excursions. Getting them used to the woods helps make it familiar territory and prevents panic if they ever end up out there alone.

Skills They Should Know

What survival skill should your kids know? That depends on their age — you don’t want to trust that a toddler can tell the difference between nightshade and blueberries — but most older children should know these basic skills.

How to build a shelter — This is vital in areas where it gets cold at night. Even a basic shelter could mean the difference between a successful night vs. the wild and/or hypothermia. How to build a fire — You need a fire to cook food, boil water and stay warm in cold climates. In addition to creating a fire, your kids should know how to protect it for the night and how to keep it contained, so they don’t accidentally start a wildfire. How to purify natural water sources — Rivers and streams might look clean, but they could hide dangerous bacteria that could make you ill. Boiling or otherwise purifying water could save your life. How to forage for food — While you can survive for three weeks without food, a lack of calories makes it harder to sustain because you won’t have the energy to continue moving forward. This is a tricky lesson because there are so many plants that look edible and are fatal — a handful of pokeberries could easily kill an adult, even though they look edible. Learning how to set snares can also help them stay full in the woods. How to defend themselves — Self-defense is as much a survival skill as anything else listed. Even if they never need to use it, self-defense classes can be life-saving. Learning how to create makeshift weapons can also be a valuable skill. How to perform first aid — Take a family trip to your local Red Cross or fire station and take a first aid class. It’s a lot harder to deal with a skinned knee or a broken bone if you can’t holler for mom or dad’s help. How to navigate — A cell phone with GPS won’t always work if you’re out in the wilderness. Teach your children how to read a map and navigate using a compass. This can be a fun skill to learn — set up a scavenger hunt with prizes at specific coordinates.

There are plenty of other skills they’ll pick up along the way, but these seven can save their lives if they’re ever alone in a survival situation.

Closing Thoughts — Don’t Scare Them

While learning survival skills is important, your kids won’t learn anything if you scare them instead of teaching. Children will learn from everything you do, so show them the basics and let them run it with them. You’ll be surprised how quickly they pick them up!

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