Ryan Rivard checks his gear before embarking on another climb. Photos: Ryan Rivard
Wayzata man climbed “the mother of all mountains” to spread awareness about addiction and mental health issues.
Ryan Rivard has conquered a lot of challenges in his life. He’s maintained 22 years of sobriety, started a nonprofit to support mental health issues for those in recovery and reached the summit of Mount Everest. From nearly succumbing to a drug overdose when he was 19 to reaching the summit of Everest earlier this year, Rivard says he’s determined to use the hard lessons he’s learned to help others.
The Wayzata man’s outlook on life is nothing short of inspiring, leaving many of those with whom he comes into contact feeling motivated to conquer or achieve their goals—maybe even summitting a mountain of their own.
Rivard may be one of the few Minnesotans who have crossed reaching the top of the tallest point on Earth off his list, and his reason for doing so is unique to his life experience. He notes that no matter what challenge a person is facing, there is a community out there to offer support. “The whole reason that I did this was not just about climbing Mount Everest, which is remarkable in itself, but to inspire people who are dealing with their own ‘Everest,’” Rivard says. “It doesn’t have to be the mountain; everybody is struggling with something whether it’s getting the job they want or dealing with their mental health issues. Everybody will face adversity at some point in their life.”
To help others conquer their “Everests,” Rivard founded Let’s Fuel Growth, a nonprofit that aims to create tangible change. It utilizes the power of community events to ignite hope, inspire action and teach life skills and leadership lessons to people in recovery. “For a lot of people, once they get sober, they have to change their friend groups and relearn a lot of things,” Rivard says. “They feel like they don’t have fun and there’s not a community around them. Oftentimes, they start to isolate and potentially go back to using drugs or alcohol.”
The goal is to host events that will bring community elements together to highlight validation and support. “We want to take down some of the barriers and stigmas that are around struggling with mental health and addiction,” he says. Another important byproduct of the events is to show people the importance of being supportive and understanding to those in need of encouragement.
Plan to Peak
When Rivard began working on creating the nonprofit, he knew that he needed other organizations to support his mission. While he had climbed Nepal’s Mount Ama Dablam and Lobuche East, those climbs didn’t come with the cache of an Everest climb. Without the notoriety, he wasn’t getting the attention and traction he needed to shine the spotlight on his cause.
“I noticed it was challenging getting corporate sponsors because nobody heard of the mountains I was climbing,” Rivard says. While the climbs were assisting in raising some funds, he recalls knowing what he had to do to punctuate the fundraising efforts. He laughs, saying his wife knew it, too. “When I climbed the other mountains, I said to my wife, Kristin, ‘If these are successful, you know what I’m going to want to do,’” he says. “She knew it was Everest, and she knew I’d be successful because of what I’m meant to do in life.”
Climbing camps are often dwarfed by the size of the mountain targeted for a climb.
After a grueling climb, Rivard and others in his group reached the summit of Everest on May 20. He admits reality didn’t sink in until he was on his way home. The realization of that accomplishment still hits him from time to time in the months following the climb. “It was one of the hardest mental and physical things I’ve ever done in my life outside of getting sober,” Rivard says. “It was also just remarkable.”
As he shares his message about his life, Rivard hopes people who are struggling—especially younger generations—realize there is support out there. “Build a community around you based on what you value. That’s a huge game changer for people,” he says. “If you want to be successful, learn habits to make you and others around you successful.”
“I couldn’t climb the mountain by myself,” he says. “I needed a whole team. I need a whole team in my life. Everybody needs a team. Find the gaps, and fill them with the right people, right mentality and right resources. Everyone can do this. They can climb whatever that Everest is, and we’ll cheer them on.”
To read more about Ryan Rivard, discover our April article about his climbing endeavors.
The Ryan Rivard
Instagram: @theryanrivard
