From Ironman to Everest: Why Dan Founded an Event That Pushes You Beyond Your Limits

Competing in endurance events changes you in ways you’d never expect.

In 2022, I signed up for one of the hardest Ironman events in the continental U.S. – Ironman Lake Placid. The process of committing to the race, training for it, and eventually crossing the finish line in front of friends and family was the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. It was also the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Somewhere along the way, my mentality shifted from “I’m not sure about this” to “Hell yeah, we’ll figure it out.”

That kind of “unlock” changes everything. You start looking at challenges differently. Obstacles become opportunities.

Facilitating that same kind of breakthrough for more people is the reason we founded Elevation Everest.

There’s symbolism behind climbing the equivalent elevation gain of the tallest mountain on the planet—we all have our own personal mountains to climb in life. Choosing to take on something hard on purpose is a proof point: If I can do this, I can handle whatever comes next. The more proof points you collect, the more you build that hell yeah mentality.

We designed this event so almost anyone in good health can participate. Hiking doesn’t require a special skillset—what it requires is a willingness to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The structure is simple:
🥾 Hike up
🚡 Gondola down
🔁 Repeat until you’ve climbed Everest

You can do it solo or as part of a relay team. But no matter how you do it, the game becomes mental. It’s you versus the voice in your head asking if you want to keep going.

If any of this speaks to you, I’d love to have you join us this year.

📅 September 27 at Winter Park Resort
We’re offering Train members – and their family and friends – a 35% discount. And if you’d rather experience the energy without competing, we’d love to have you volunteer on race day.

Because when you choose to do hard things, you don’t just climb mountains—you change your life.