Kelly Perkins

Kelly Perkins is an American heart transplant recipient known for climbing mountains to inspire others and promote organ donation.

Perkins has selected peaks of many famous mountains, with both personal and cause related significance, since her heart transplant operation in 1995 [http://community.icontact.com/p/frankieboyer/blogs/frankieboyercom_blog/posts/lifestyle-january-15-2007] [http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=k_perkins] . [http://www.diaday.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98&lang=en] A good example is her climb of El Capitan in Yosemite Park, with its natural heart shaped cut-out, where she was recently quoted as saying, "We thought, how great would that be to climb straight through the heart of El Capitan... in a symbolic way we are tugging on the heart strings of people to be educated about organ donation". [http://www.oem.com.mx/diariodexalapa/notas/n685983.htm]

Mountains climbed

Some of the mountains Perkins has climbed since her heart transplant operation are:

* Half Dome, California, USA, 1996
* Mt. Whitney, California, USA, 1997 [http://www.amarillo.com/stories/092797/heart.html]
* Mount Fuji, Japan , 1998 [http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=k_perkins]
* Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, 2001cite web
title= Kilimanjoro
url = http://www.seracfilms.com/projects/kilimanjaro/Kilimanjaro.htm
accessdate = 2008-01-20
publisher = Serac Adventure Films] [http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2001-11-10/article/8197 ]
* Matterhorn, Zermatt, Switzerland, 2003cite web
title= Climbing the Matterhorn
url = http://www.jpmountainguide.com/matterhornkelly.html
accessdate = 2008-01-20]
* Aspiring, National Park, New Zealand, 2005
* El Capitan, California, USA, 2005
* Cajon de Arenales, Argentina, 2007cite web
title= Heart recipient conquers Andes climb
url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-03-03-2968441315_x.htm
accessdate = 2008-01-20]

Commerialization

Perkins and her husband Craig founded HydraCoach, Inc. in 1999 that helps athletes, medical professionals and health/diet conscious individuals adhere to their personal hydration needs, a problem Perkins experienced during one of her climbs.cite web
title= HydraCoach, Inc.
url = http://www.hydracoach.com/company/index.html
accessdate = 2008-01-20]

Perkins memoir, "The Climb of My Life," details her life before her heart transplant operation, and her work and mountain climbs since. Publishers Weekly wrote "Perkins's engaging tale provides valuable inspiration for others struggling to return to an active life after a dire illness."cite web
title= Nonfiction Review
url = http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6467341.html?q=kelly+perkins
accessdate = 2008-01-20] The former president of the American Heart Association, Dr. Donald Harrison, said Perkins' biography is "a gripping story" that "many will enjoy . . . particularly patients, relatives, and friends who are experiencing the ravages of heart disease--giving them hope.* [http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com/Catalog/Reviews.shtml?command=Search&db=^DB/CATALOG.db&eqSKUdata=0742558770]

References

External links

* [http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-03-03-2968441315_x.htm Profile] of Perkins from USA Today by the Associated Press.
* [http://www.oprah.com/xm/moz/200712/moz_20071219.jhtml Interview] between Mehmet Oz and Perkins and her husband Craig.
* [http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3992827&affil=kabc Interview] on ABC News' Good Morning America Now.
* [http://darynkagan.com/overcoming/stories/ov_071102_heartofaclimber.html Interview] by Daryn Kagan
* [http://www.oprah.com/xm/gking/200802/gking_20080227.jhtml Gayle King] interviews Perkins and her husband Craig on Oprah & Friends
* [http://lifestyle.msn.com/mindbodyandsoul/womenintheworld/staticslideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=3326194&imageindex=8 Feature] in MSN Lifestyle section "10 Amazing Women"
* [http://oprahselects.com/oprah-friends-xm-satellite-radio/kelly-perkins-the-climb-of-my-life-scaling-mountains-with-a-borrowed-heart/ Oprah Selects] Favorite books and "must haves" from Oprah Winfrey programs
* [http://conversationslive.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=29 Interview] by Vicki St. Clair interview with Perkins about her book (Podcast format).
* [http://www.oem.com.mx/diariodexalapa/notas/n685983.htm "Both Sides" Column] 2008 profile about Perkins' inspiring life
* [http://www.fitness.gov/kperkins.pdf President's Council on Physical Fitness]
* [http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2001-11-10/article/8197 Associated Press Profile] of Perkins after 2001 Mount Kilimanjaro climb
* [http://www.amarillo.com/stories/092797/heart.html Associated Press profile] of Perkins after 1997 Mount Whitney climb
* [http://www.diaday.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98&lang=en Podcast interview with Jay Bildstein on Diaday.com]