what kind of twisted stupid logic is that? setting up something that is an enormous benefit to people in need when no one else is doing it is ALWAYS commendable. whether its a rich person doing it or a poor person doing it. are you trying to encourage rich people not to contribute to helping people in need? I dont think you understand how economics works. would you rather she spent her money on clothes and cars and selfish things for herself? what a truly ignorant and destructive statement to make. and it was her initiative - as a teenage girl - to do this. she didnt put her name on something her parents were running. she organized this from the ground floor up. spent months living in africa in remote villages with poor families in their homes not at some 5 star hotel. she got her hands dirty helping to do things like build wells. wasnt filing her nails and sunbathing while workers toiled away. is this about hating on rich people or hating on white people helping black people? because either way you are off base.
a lot of people here are making it out as if she is a Vanderbilt or something. her family is upper middle class, not billionaires. a lot of the money she used to do this came from donations from the thousands of people that follow her, from her church and from lots of sponsors who have been on board with her for a while as they have seen her doing important amazing things and want to be involved. Post Cereal alone gave her like $15,000 for this climb. And there were other companies as well including tons of mountaineering equipment companies. so the concept that she can do this stuff because she is sitting on a pile of endless family money isnt accurate at all. and anyway, I see the angry incels insisting its only about money continue to conveniently ignore my question about if it was so easy to accomplish the things shes accomplished by being rich than why arent 18 year old rich girls doing this all the time? why is she the first? the answer has more to do with the kind of person she is than how much money she has. but please continue pretending its otherwise to assuage your own feelings of inadequacy...
That kids parents are not upper middle class. A guided hike up Everest is probably between $50-100,000 per person. And she is the first 18 year old because nobody in that age group has usually that kind of money.
That's not that much. There are millions of families in this country that could afford that but none of their kids climbed Everest or accomplished anything noteworthy at her age.
What would you rather her do - spend money on clothes a fancy car and partying with her friends? There is just a lot of bitterness and jealously here.
That kids parents are not upper middle class. A guided hike up Everest is probably between $50-100,000 per person. And she is the first 18 year old because nobody in that age group has usually that kind of money.
is this really your argument?! that no 18 year old has ever done this before because they werent rich like her? millions of kids in this country come from or came from rich families. some MUCH richer than hers. none of those millions have done what she did. so once again this notion that any rich kid can do what shes done is completely refuted by the facts. none of them ever have...
and being the second executive at a small Illinois based investment firm does not make you a Rockefeller. and none of those kids from families WITH Rockefeller cash are doing this or helping poor countries to get clean water. some are living in Kardashian-esque excess. most are just living anonymous average lives of privilege. yet here we are on letsrun trashing the one kid who chooses to use her fortunate situation to inspire others and to directly help those in need. what a miserable lot. you all deserve your toxic bitterness.
That kids parents are not upper middle class. A guided hike up Everest is probably between $50-100,000 per person. And she is the first 18 year old because nobody in that age group has usually that kind of money.
is this really your argument?! that no 18 year old has ever done this before because they werent rich like her? millions of kids in this country come from or came from rich families. some MUCH richer than hers. none of those millions have done what she did. so once again this notion that any rich kid can do what shes done is completely refuted by the facts. none of them ever have...
and being the second executive at a small Illinois based investment firm does not make you a Rockefeller. and none of those kids from families WITH Rockefeller cash are doing this or helping poor countries to get clean water. some are living in Kardashian-esque excess. most are just living anonymous average lives of privilege. yet here we are on letsrun trashing the one kid who chooses to use her fortunate situation to inspire others and to directly help those in need. what a miserable lot. you all deserve your toxic bitterness.
It's great that this family is doing something. I am all for it.
But Everest is narcissism at it worst. It's just a playground for the rich. Real climbers go somewhere else and some of them are young as well.
I don't care that the girl comes from money. If you watch her videos, you can tell her heart is huge. She walks into some of the most rural places in Africa with no fear at all. She climbed Everest, so what? As a Black man, I am impressed this privileged white girl has the courage to go to some of the poorest areas in Africa and be humble and help people. She's got soul and that's all that matters. She may come from a rich background but obviously she uses it to help people and she's not just doing snotty fundraisers. No, she's there on the ground with the people doing the work. This young lady is to be admired no matter what her status is. I am a Lucy Westlake fan.
It's great that this family is doing something. I am all for it.
But Everest is narcissism at it worst. It's just a playground for the rich. Real climbers go somewhere else and some of them are young as well.
shes been "somewhere else" more than 50 times. is it really your notion that "real" climbers should never climb Mount Everest? how nice of you to be the arbitrator of what climbers should do and how to define them. as you well know theres a certain cachet in climbing Everest much more so than any other peek (for better or for worse). thats why she is getting 15 minutes of notoriety right now. and she will pour all the exposure she gets from this into her water campaign and into inspiring other youth climbers like she has been for years. if thats just "narcissism" than may she remain the queen of all narcissists.
People do this. Not sure why. Seems like a lot of time, energy, resources and luck goes into climbing a mountain. Then again others like Ryan Hall carry a 500 pound yoke for distance.
I don't care that the girl comes from money. If you watch her videos, you can tell her heart is huge. She walks into some of the most rural places in Africa with no fear at all. She climbed Everest, so what? As a Black man, I am impressed this privileged white girl has the courage to go to some of the poorest areas in Africa and be humble and help people. She's got soul and that's all that matters. She may come from a rich background but obviously she uses it to help people and she's not just doing snotty fundraisers. No, she's there on the ground with the people doing the work. This young lady is to be admired no matter what her status is. I am a Lucy Westlake fan.
As a black man, you don't find it condescending for a highly privileged rich white girl to be strolling around a poor black village?
I don't care that the girl comes from money. If you watch her videos, you can tell her heart is huge. She walks into some of the most rural places in Africa with no fear at all. She climbed Everest, so what? As a Black man, I am impressed this privileged white girl has the courage to go to some of the poorest areas in Africa and be humble and help people. She's got soul and that's all that matters. She may come from a rich background but obviously she uses it to help people and she's not just doing snotty fundraisers. No, she's there on the ground with the people doing the work. This young lady is to be admired no matter what her status is. I am a Lucy Westlake fan.
As a black man, you don't find it condescending for a highly privileged rich white girl to be strolling around a poor black village?
I have no problem it whatsoever. She's not just strolling around a village, she's helping communities build a much needed infrastructure. She might even be having fun and learning something while she's doing it too. What a sad lot some of you are on here finding any reason you can to discredit the charitable works of an eighteen year old girl. You should be ashamed of yourselves. She can't control where she comes from but she can control what she does and how she lives her life. It appears she does a lot of positive things for people and enjoys it. Yet, some people on here judge her for climbing a stupid mountain because she should only climb the appropriate one. Listen to how idiotic that sounds. Everest is the pinnacle of summits. If you're in that world, why wouldn't you want to do it if you could? Hobbs Kessler likes rock climbing. If he climbs rocks on the moon, more power to him. I'm not gonna judge him for it if he's privileged enough to do it. Let this girl live.
On 12 May 1992, 32 men and women reached the summit of Everest. The crush of people was so great that at a difficult point on the summit ridge where 40 years ago Sir Edmund Hillary had used all his legendary strength and skil...
In a 5000 meter race, 3 laps to go, when she's hurting bad, she can tell herself, "Hey, I climbed Mt. Everest! I can tough it out for another 4 minutes!"
No Everest for me! I would be scared out of my mind that I would lose fingers, toes, hands, nose or feet to frostbite.
It looks like Witter started the business 42 years ago, then Westlake joined him 15 years ago. The firm has only those 2 advisors, and 25 clients, which is far from being a big firm.
Also, anyone could start a firm like that, as all it takes is passing a couple of tests and then going into business, which is not at all to say that would be easy, nor profitable.
I seriously doubt they are making a huge income with such a small firm of that size.
My name is Lucy Westlake - I’m 18 years old from Naperville, Illinois. I’ve been climbing mountains since I was seven. I’m now ready to climb Everest this Ma...
This goal is expensive, but worth it. Not just for me, but for the empowerment and inspiration for all the girls who follow. We are closing the gender gap - one mountain at a time. I need your help. Please donate ($10, $20, $50, ect) to my GoFundMe page (https://gofund.me/5161052a) and please share this video and my GoFundMe link with others. I can’t do it without you, but we can do it together. Thank you!
Sure, Everest with Sherpa support isn’t more impressive in fitness than a 20’ 5K, just that it always comes with an uncomfortably high probability of death for anyone if nature doesn’t cooperate as expected..
No, climbing Mt. Everest is much more impressive than running a 20 minute 5K. Sure, she comes from money. It definitely helps in being able to climb.
She also topped out at the highest points in all 50 states. Ok, most of those are not impressive. Some not impressive at all. However, she did climb Denali in Alaska which is a beast of a climb. She also did Mt. Rainier in Washington state and a few others that require some skills.
"Prior to reaching the top of Mount Everest, the teen has already set records, becoming the youngest female to summit the 50 U.S. state highpoints last June."
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do what she did at her age, but I was too busy working summer jobs.
I was washing dishes in a retirement home, I clearly should have been climbing Everest.
Anyone can climb Everest. There have been 80 year old women and 6 year olds, handicapped, blind, and everything in between. There is no level of fitness nor skill required.
Just pay the money and follow the guide's instructions and if you are in the 99.9% of the time that the weather is as forecasted, then you have climbed Everest. If in the 0.1% of the time that a freak storm appears out of nowhere, then you could be the most fit and experienced climber in the world and you are a goner.
Running a mile under 6 minutes is more of an accomplishment than climbing Everest and I would submit, that 80% of the people who have climbed Everest could not have run a 6 minute mile the week before, and that 100% of sub 6 minute milers can climb Everest if they are in the 99.9% that the weather is as forecast when they make the attempt.
As far as climbing the highest point in all 50 states, anyone with lots of money and leisure time can do it. By the way nothing wrong with doing it, I am sure it is fun and I am not one of the envious criticizing it. I am just pointing it out is not an achievement of any sort, it is simply a fun thing to do.
