Johnny Strange, 17, Is Youngest Person To Conquer World's 7 Summits

On June 9, 17-year-old Johnny Strange of Malibu, California successfully reached the summit of Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko, concluding a journey he started when was only twelve -- conquering the world’s seven summits.

Upon reaching the final summit Johnny sent an email to friends and family saying, “"Never let anyone stifle your dreams no matter the feat, for if you have the heart and the courage, impossible is nothing."

When Johnny first set out to climb Mt. Vinson, one of the world’s seven summits, he was a hardheaded 12-year-old kid with something to prove. Five years later, what started out as a challenge, turned into a goal, and has since become a life altering experience for him. In addition to completing the seven summits, a feat many climbers set out to try to achieve, Johnny is now the youngest in the world to have actually done it.

What makes this goal difficult, at any age, is Mt. Everest, the world’s highest and most harrowing peak. While all the summits come with their own set of challenges, Everest is by far one of the most difficult where every safety precaution taken, smart decision made, and all the training in the world can still end in death.

It was only days ago that Johnny Strange reached the summit of Everest along with his father Brian Strange, a class action attorney in Los Angeles, and began to realize his journey was about to come to an end. With the one peak remaining, there was a reason he hadn’t saved the biggest for last.

“Everest was incredible, but I didn’t put it last on my summit list because I wanted to stay focused and appreciate it as a lone experience, not part of the seven summit goal,” said Strange. “Everest is an intense mental and physical challenge on both the ascent and descent, and I give much respect to every man, woman, and teenager who has reached the summit and back. At the same time my prayers go out to those who’ve lost their lives.”

The seven summit record was previously held by 18-year-old Samantha Larson of Long Beach, California.