Mark Wellman
Encyclopedia
Mark Wellman is an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

, filmmaker, paralympian, and motivational speaker, who is best known for his 1989 ascent of El Capitan
El Capitan
El Capitan is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith extends about from base to summit along its tallest face, and is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers.The formation was...

 in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...

, which was the first ascent of the cliff by a paraplegic. He has appeared on National television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 speaking about his ascent. He has written a biography, Climbing Back, as well as given many powerful speeches for himself and other paraplegics.

Wellman lit the caudron for the opening of the 1996 Summer Paralympics
1996 Summer Paralympics
The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million....

 in Atlanta after carrying the flaming torch up a 120-foot rope.

Climb

Wellman lost use of his legs when he fell off a mountain in the Sierra Nevadas. However, he became the first paraplegic to climb El Capitan, over the course of six days. While he climbed up the mountain, a friend accompanied him and supported his slips.

External links

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