GCSAA Chief Executive Officer Rhett Evans recently accomplished a rare feat when he reached the summit of Mount Everest. Reaching this incredible goal required months of intense training, practice, grit, and determination. After all, Rhett’s ascent of the highest mountain peak in the world is inspiring for those who know Rhett both inside and outside of the golf industry.
This brings us to where Rhett’s story began – before his ascent. Rhett is a long-time leader in the golf industry who emphatically believes that rewards come in relation to the difficulty and dedication every turfgrass professional experiences as they perfect their craft on those places, we call Golf Courses. To garner more significant support and acknowledgment for golf course superintendents, his climb up Mt. Everest sheds light on their day-to-day challenges and why they are uniquely qualified for a variety of careers in golf course management.
Having a vested interest in golf course maintenance, Rhett utilized his trips representing the GCSAA and it’s 20,000 members as added preparation while becoming more vital for the physical and mental climb that Mount Everest ensues. The preparation involved long and intense conditioning with much cardio work, heavy weightlifting, and altitude training to get used to high elevations. Rhett’s training did him well as he reached Mount Everest‘s top.
This is a personal victory for Rhett and another win in the ledger of golf course superintendents everywhere. The fact that the successful climb has inspired others to sense and follow their dreams and trust in a higher power (specifically God). For Rhett: It’s all about the journey.”
Rhett’s summit of Mount Everest has received plaudits from his peers in the golf industry. This is something for the golf community to be proud of, showing how a hard-working, dedicated individual can persevere and attain such an incredible living destination. Now that he has returned home, Rhett’s legacy will be that you can achieve any goal you set in life if you dedicate yourself to it.
In short, his pursuit and triumph of reaching the top of Mount Everest is an illustration that mirrors many in golf course management- tenacious perseverance for our profession. This character encourages each other to forge ahead in their journey. His ascent of this famous summit makes us all feel a little more robust mentally and physically, but what is achievable when we keep working hard at something, and how do challenging situations prepare us for other unpredictable circumstances?
