I love to read stories of survivors who don't let their conditions hold them back. In this case, it would seem that Rob Hill's condition actually inspired him to dream even bigger and just go for it. This is one guy on a mission. He recently scaled the 4,884 meter Carstenz Pyramid in Papua, the highest mountain in the Oceanic continent.
Robert Hill is a triathlete, adventure racer, climber, mountaineer, ostomate and Crohn's survivor. There is definitely no "but" in the roster to describe him.
His parents stood by him the years he battled Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and the post-surgery time when he was so down with thoughts of being unable to be the "fit, healthy young man who is very fond of outdoor activities".
His story is probably one you've heard before or maybe lived yourself. A typical young adult just living his life only to get cut down by Crohn's Disease serious enough to require an ostomy.
Raised to love nature by his father, Hill had never been really sick in his life. Then 23 years old, he was an amateur runner and adventurer until debilitating diarrhea, cramping and pain racked him in 1994. He was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract.
Since 2002 he's been scaling mountains worldwide to raise awareness and inspire others like him to get up and do the stuff you want to do... the stuff you dream about.
"Life with an ostomy was my second chance and I was not going to waste it," he said. Then he began to see how he could also inspire others. "By my taking it to the extreme, taking on the Seven Summits, I hope to show other people living with a chronic intestinal problem that it shouldn't stop them from living their life to the fullest."
Amen to that!
Rob Hill: Scaling mountains to raise awareness - The Jakarta Post