Originally published in The California Aggie

It took Steve Wampler 20,000 pull-ups to reach the top of El Capitan.

Over the course of six days in August 2010, Wampler used a self-designed pulley system to hoist himself up the 3,000-foot Yosemite rock formation, becoming the first person with cerebral palsy to complete the daunting climb.

“[By the end] I was so exhausted and dehydrated and I lost 10 pounds and I was happy it was over, but I really didn’t take it in until a couple days later,” said Wampler, who graduated from UC Davis in 1992 with a degree in environmental engineering.

Though it took a few days for Wampler to process his achievement, news of the climb quickly caught the attention of the likes of “Ellen DeGeneres”, “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” and now, Sports Illustrated.

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