Yuichiro Miura

“When I planned to ski Everest, the first thing I faced was, 'How can I return alive?' All the preparation and training was based on this question. But the more I prepared, I knew the chance of survival was very slim. Nobody in the world had done this before, so I told myself that I must face death. Otherwise, I am not eligible.”

“I want to ski down Mount Cho Oyu in the Himalayas when I am 85, descending from a height of 8,201 meters.”

“After retiring, I was a little bored with nothing to do and got fat. I thought, if a 60-year-old metabolic fat man, after five years, can get to Mount Everest, that would be very exciting.”

“It's important to have a dream no matter how old you are.”

“It's important to set your own goals and work hard to achieve them.”

“I've been doing extremely dangerous activities for a long time, but I've been lucky enough to have survived so far. However, sooner or later we all die... and, if that's the case, I want to die doing what I love to do the most. That's how I view death.”

“I never imagined I could make it to the top of Mount Everest at age 80. This is the world's best feeling, although I'm totally exhausted. Even at 80, I can still do quite well.”

“Just keep challenging yourself. I think that's a great thing.”

“If the limit of age 80 is at the summit of Mt Everest, the highest place on Earth, one can never be happier.”

“I've learned through my own experiences that working toward an objective in your life can change who you are.”