8-Year-Old to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to Cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Tyler Armstrong

Eight-year-old Tyler Armstrong, of Yorba Linda, Calif., has set his sights on becoming one of the youngest ever to summit one of the highest mountains in the world, Mt. Kilimanjaro. He already set a record as the youngest person to climb Mt. Whitney in a single day  the highest peak in the contiguous United States. Showing remarkable compassion, Tyler decided he would climb Mt. Kilimanjaro not for himself, but for the 300,000 boys worldwide who suffer from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and for his friend 12-year-old Suhail Zaveri of Anaheim.

"I am doing this climb to help Suhail and other boys my age that have Duchenne because most of them have a hard time even walking," said Tyler.

CureDuchenne is coordinating Tyler's climb as part of the fourth annual Climb to CureDuchenne Pick Your Peak event. If everything goes as planned, Tyler, due to special permission granted by the Tanzanian government, will be the second youngest to reach the 19,341 foot summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the youngest person to lead a fundraiser of this caliber for a nonprofit.

Achieving this impressive athletic goal requires a dedicated family, impressive athletic ability, a strict training regiment including four-mile runs coupled with an intensive training climb schedule. Achieving this compassionate goal requires a heartfelt want to help others who cannot do what he can. "Boys with Duchenne, Tyler, and CureDuchenne all seem to have one thing in common determination," said Debra Miller, founder and CEO of CureDuchenne. "We are thrilled Tyler decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to help find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy on behalf of the Duchenne boys who can't."

Others can participate in Climb to CureDuchenne Pick Your Peak by choosing any mountain, hill or tall building to climb on June 23 or June 30, 2012. Anyone, regardless of athletic ability, is encouraged to participate individually or to form a team and secure sponsors/contributors to raise funds to find a cure for Duchenne. Click here to donate to the climb. To learn more about Tyler visit TopWithTyler.com.

Travel Dirty is the official travel sponsor for the Mt. Kilimanjaro climb. The international travel agency caters to those who want their vacations to include both stunning locations and athletic adventures.

Click to Read Our Press Release