When MBS member Richard Gold approached trainer Lori Sunderman with a most unusual proposition, she was stunned.

“I thought he had two heads,” Sunderman recalls. “There was no way he could accomplish that goal in such a short period of time.”

But Gold did. He told Lori that he wanted to climb Mount Rainier and that she had six weeks to whip him into shape. When she recovered from her shock, she agreed.

Mount Rainier, as I’ve learned is a 14,410 foot volcano located in west central Washington, approximately 1 ½ hours outside of Seattle. It has the greatest single peak glacial system in the United States.

It’s a challenge for seasoned climbers—several of whom perished this year alone from exposure and accidents—falling to crevices and falling off the mountain!

To say that it would be a challenge for the 46-year-old CEO of West Boca Medical Center would be an understatement.

But don’t underestimate Richard Gold.

“He’s the kind of guy who makes up his mind and goes for it,” says Lori. “I reminded him how dangerous his mission was and then said I’d help him if he followed my instructions to a ‘T’”

Sunderman researched training methods for hiking. Gold asked the Mount Rainier guide company, RMI, to supply information from their end as to what the trek would entail. Together, they put their heads together and came up with a plan.

Gold says that he wasn’t overly worried about the challenge.

“I’ve always loved outdoor adventure,” the affable member revealed. “I loved the challenge of facing that mountain and trained both mentally and physically to get into the best shape possible in so short a time.”

Gold did his homework, adjusting his diet to include only the “cleanest” foods. He lifted for upper body strength, spun to develop his already strong legs, and worked on his abdominal area to fine tune the kind of inner strength that would carry him straight up Mount Rainier.

When Memorial Day arrived, he was ready.

“We had a lot of gear to carry—not only our backpacks but our picks, ropes and axes to grip the ice,” Gold recalls. “The guides gave us an intense orientation and then we set out. The first day we climbed for six and a half hours. The first three hours were fine, and then I felt the fatigue and cold set in. It was grueling.

“We made camp at 10,000 feet at Camp Muir and set out our sleeping bags. The guide brought us hot water and food. They told us to fall asleep early because we’d go for the summit in the middle of the night, before the threat of killer avalanches would raise it’s head.

“I was exhausted as were the six other climbers with me and had no problem falling asleep. When we woke up, there was a howling snowstorm and it was completely white outside—beautiful but eerie.

“We dug out and roped up for safety. We tried to climb but the wind picked up to over 40 miles an hour. Our guides decided it was too dangerous to continue and instructed us to ‘haul ass’ down the mountain.”

Despite a painful injury to his leg, Gold hightailed it to the bottom in record time.

“It took us two hours to descend. There were times I didn’t think I’d make it, the pain was so great. But I kept seeing Lori over my shoulder, egging me on. She was like a guardian angel.”

Thankfully, Gold is alive to tell his story. Three climbers, unaccompanied by guides, died the following week.

“I’m sorry I didn’t summit,” Gold says, looking wistfully through the stack of spectacular photos he brought back as souvenirs of his experience. “But I learned something about myself from my journey. I learned that I’m the kind of guy who thrives on working hard and playing hard. And I do this by choice. I learned more about who I am.

“The climb was really more about mind over matter. I used meditation to stay on track. I used a visual of Lori pushing me. I’m extremely proud of having challenged myself.”

Gold says he’d go back up in a heartbeat.