What is Tyler Armstrong made of? That is the question that many are asking about the young Hispanic from Southern California who has dedicated himself to setting records as a mountaineer and who also takes advantage of his incredible ability to raise large funds for a good cause.
Born in Pasadena ago 18 years old and a resident of Yorba Linda, Orange County, Armstrong is determined to continue making mountaineering history. His expectation is that next year he will be the youngest person to climb Mount Everest without oxygen.
“Keep pushing for your dream”, says Tyler as a message to other young people . “You’re not going to do it in a day, it’s going to take years and years, but when you finally do it, it feels amazing”.
Pursuing his dreams is something that makes the young Californian happy who was recently awarded as the most outstanding student-athlete in the sports and fitness category by the Foundation of the Hispanic Heritage and the NFL. The ceremony was held during the week of Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.
In total, 10 Hispanic youth between 10,000 candidates were awarded within the awards for youth excellence in their 23to. edition. Armstrong was joined on the list by Adriana Thompson, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Christopher Cortez, of Arlington, Ohio; Connor Aparicio-Bill, from Holualoa, Hawaii; Diego Foster, of Chandler, Ariz.; Gabriella Henson-Vendrell, of Haymarket, Virginia; Izaya Laguardia, of Portland, Oregon; Karina Manrique, of Weston, Fla.; Leonardo Cuéllar, from Laredo, Texas, and Sofía Gaydos, from New York, NY.
The amazing achievements of mountaineer Tyler Armstrong
Tyler Armstrong fell in love with mountaineering when at the age of 6 he saw a documentary called ‘The Great Divide’. His dad, Kevin, told him that if he wanted to practice this difficult sport, he needed to train, and the next day the boy Tyler was at the door of his house waiting for his father to return from work so he could take him to that, to train.
“My dad said: ‘Maybe he’s serious.’ We went to do my first hike in Pasadena. And then we started to go further, and higher”, says Armstrong.
The young blonde soon showed his skills and that was reflected in his impressive achievements: he says that at age 7 climbed Mount Whitney in California, which is the highest peak in the continental United States not including Alaska.
At the age of 8, he became the second youngest mountaineer to climb the iconic Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, the highest mountain in Africa. And at 9 he made history by setting a world record after conquering Aconcagua in Argentina, in the Andes mountain range.
In addition to planning to go up Everest without oxygen next year, Tyler said he hopes to complete the 7 highest peaks in the world by the age of 20 years.
Your cause against the terrible Duchenne muscular dystrophy
It was Tyler Armstrong’s mother who told him about the opportunity to obtain the award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. “I told him, ‘Sure, let’s see what happens.’ Any money helps with studies,” says Armstrong, who wants to attend the University of Southern California (USC) to study finance.
Armstrong thinks he won the HHF award for his altruistic cause that consists of raising funds to fight a disease called Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is a genetic disorder that rapidly weakens the muscles, specifically of boys.
He tells that he met a boy who lived near his house and who suffered from the disease: “I thought: ‘Let’s help this boy so that one day come (to climb) with me”. That’s how he started the idea of raising awareness and money. Armstrong believes he has managed to collect about $500, dollars.
“It’s unreal!”, he exclaims about having been awarded and affirms that will continue to do the same with humility and without presumptions.
You may be interested: Viridiana Álvarez, the Mexican who learned mountaineering on You Tube
Diego Foster: “I’m finding my way in life”
The other young Hispanic with Californian roots who was awarded in the week of the Super Bowl is called Diego Foster, resident of the Phoenix, Arizona area, where he has excelled as a baseball player and football player at the quarterback position.
Foster, born in Orange County, is a student at Tempe Preparatory Academy. Last year he agreed to go to Monmouth College, where he will play college baseball, which is one of his dreams.
Diego’s interesting story has to do with his identity since his biological parents are from Mexico and Spain, but he grew up with a completely English-speaking family. He admits that he has tried to rediscover Spanish, learning the culture, even talking to his grandmother, who lives in Redlands, California
“I am finding my way in life Foster says. “I was always confused because my name is Diego, I have friends who are Mexicans who speak Spanish and I was a little lost, so I started to accept it”.
The young athlete says that after getting to know him better and embracing his Hispanic has seen a substantial change in his life: “I feel incredible now that I know who I really am, where I come from, where my family comes from”.
Diego Foster, gold medal winner in the Arizona and New Mexico region, considers himself a leader, he likes to help people and lead them by being a good example. He wants to study kinesiology in physical therapy “to help people”.
“I feel very good about my potential now that I’m going to college, but I definitely want to transfer to a bigger school after two years,” shares Foster, who considers himself more than an athlete.
“We are proud and excited to recognize, along with the NFL, the impact of these youth leaders, not only in the classroom and on the sports field, but also in our community,” José Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of HHF, said in a statement.
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is a national nonprofit organization focused on education, workforce, social impact, and culture.
6338