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Intimidating peaks have lined up in Miriam Richards' path over the years.
It
started when she was born without hearing and learned to communicate silently
in a world of sound that would always remain foreign. Then three years ago, came
the news that she had multiple sclerosis, a disease of the central nervous system.
Towering peaks, growing up from the ground around every turn.
So,
Miriam Richards - not much over 5 feet tall, though given a gift that makes her
seem larger than life - decided to start climbing.
She set out to reach
the highest point of each state in the U.S., a list of 50 mountains from Hood
to McKinley. No other deaf person in history had ever accomplished the feat, let
alone someone dealing with the effects of MS.
The first time Richards
tackled Oregon's Mt. Hood in 1994, the bright sun melted the ice on a February
day, causing her to slip and fall 1,000 feet. The accident resulted in breaks
too numerous to mention and, thus far, over two dozen surgeries, including a procedure
on her knee just a month ago.
A year after the disappointment in Oregon,
Richards was once again looking up at Mt. Hood equipped with her climbing gear
and the sort of ambition that builds pyramids. She reached the top and has never
looked back.
From Maine to Texas to California, Richards has reached
the summit of each state's most imposing mountain - all except Denali, also known
as Mt. McKinley, in Alaska. This May, Richards rose to 15,500 feet of that 20,320-foot
peak, only to postpone the remainder of the hike over concerns about her health.
"I'm
49 and eight-tenths to my goal," Richards said.
Last month, Richards
made a stop in the Inland Northwest - not to leap over Mt. Spokane in a single
bound - but to speak about methods of dealing effectively with MS as part of a
seminar in Spokane Valley. Appearing on the agenda with medical professionals
at CenterPlace at Mirabeau Point, Richards spoke through an interpreter about
the importance of a positive attitude in not only coping - but living well - with
her condition.
"It's not the end of the world - there's a lot of
hope out there," Richards said. "I tell people to be motivated,
be persistent and set goals."
Roy A. Kanter, a physician who works
in the MS Center at Holy Family Hospital, appeared after Richards on the program
at CenterPlace. He talked about the inspiring approach of "MS heroes"
who face up to challenges each day with ambition and optimism.
"You
can tell an MS hero because they're always smiling," Kanter said. "I'm
always amazed at the human spirit that people like Miriam show."
That
human spirit includes an amazing degree of patience and ambition that propel Richards
to great heights even when her first effort may not go as scheduled. When she
reached the top of Mt. Rainier last August it was her third attempt.
Mountain
climbing is only one aspect of Richards' life that benefits from her steady persistence.
Richards teaches sign language at Western Oregon University, referees soccer and
earns money as a dogwalker. Recently, she has been speaking at conferences like
the one at CenterPlace which focus on quality of life issues for MS patients.
Before
she was diagnosed with MS in 2003, Richards had bouts of dizziness, blurred vision
and weakness on the right side of her body.
"I didn't feel right,"
Richards remembers. "It was good news to finally have a name for what was
going on."
The disease of the central nervous system has not taken
over Miriam's positive attitude or her will to achieve. Mountain climbing guides
like Kathy Cosley, who helped lead the expedition to Denali, said the key to Richards'
success is her "tremendous willpower."
"She feels like
she should always do her utmost," Cosley said.
Even though Richards
fell a little short of her goal on Mt. McKinley, Cosley said the trek to 15,500
feet was a major accomplishment.
"She gave 100 percent on that
one," Cosley said. "She just kept putting one foot in front of the other."
From
Mt. Hood in her homestate of Oregon to Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak in South
America, Richards has set a standard for courageous feats that few thought were
possible. Beyond the symbolism of scaling her own personal mountain, Richards
continues encourage others to rise above physical limitations and challenge themselves
to reach new heights.
"When I reach the top, I feel like I've conquered
it - like I can do it," she said. "I tell people to be motivated
and persistent. Setting goals helps not only to climb mountains, but in all areas
of life."
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By
Craig Howard
