When Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgyay scrambled up the last bit of ice to reach the summit of Mount Everest, they became the first people to stand on top of the tallest mountain in the world. For Hillary, the moment was his first great accomplishment—one that would propel him into public life and inspire the queen of England to knight him. Since that 1953 ascent, Hillary has been searching for ways to balance environmental protection of the Himalayan Mountains with the economic benefits tourists and climbers bring to the area. He has dedicated his life to helping the people, the Sherpas, who helped him to Everest's summit.
Whitney Stewart is an award-winning author of young adult biographies, middle grade novels, and picture books. She has traveled widely in Asia and interviewed such figures as the 14th Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Sir Edmund Hillary.
Whitney experienced Hurricane Katrina while trapped in a building in downtown New Orleans. She was helicoptered out of the city with her son and elderly mother-in-law. During her semester away from home, Whitney lived on Nantucket, researched the island's history and ghost lore, and wrote three children's books.
Whitney loves to travel, read, meditate, hike, bike, kayak, and do yoga. She is also a Level III Reiki practitioner and is studying Classical Tibetan.
