Professor gives motivational speech about striving to climb Mount Everest

T.A. Loeffler, a professor of outdoor recreation at Memorial University of Newfoundland, spoke about turning her ambitions of climbing Mount Everest into a reality Tuesday in the University Center Ballrooms.

In a special presentation sponsored by Housing and Residence Life, Loeffler talked about what it was like to tackle Everest and what kinds of lessons she learned from her attempt. She talked about the need to dream and to never stop dreaming.

"I think it's important that we dream not only at night, but that we dream in the daytime," Loeffler said. "When we dream in the daytime, we can bring some of our big dreams and our big goals into our lives and into our realities."

Loeffler applied this method of thinking to the question behind the presentation, "What is your Everest?"

To train for Everest, she said she practiced being uncomfortable mentally, a trait which she said anyone chasing his or her dreams will need to be familiar with. When she tackled the highest mountain in the world, she spent multiple months at base camp and managed to climb to Camp 2 before she succumbed to illness and had to turn back.

One of the most important lessons she said she learned from this experience was risking disappointment.

"It was worth the risk because so many things I got to see and do I wouldn't have if I hadn't taken on my Everest," she said.

Kelley Garrod, a special education major, agreed with Loeffler on  not quitting on dreams.

"I really appreciated her story about the picture and never giving up, even though you may not reach your goal the first time," Garrod said.

Garrod said her personal Everest is to open an orphanage for special needs children.

Chris Mullen, a coordinator for Student Engagement, said staying focused and persevering is good.

"I really connected with her idea of the perseverance of not making your goal," Mullen said.

Loeffler will challenge Everest again March 23 and will blog about her experience.