Tyler Armstrong climbed his first mountain at seven years old after watching a documentary about hiking. Then Tyler conquered the highest mountain in California and kept climbing mountain after mountain. Soon Tyler set his sights on the world’s highest mountains, known as the seven summits. After meeting boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who tired easily and couldn’t be as active as him, his climbing took on new meaning. Now, 11-year-old Tyler Armstrong climbs for those who can’t – the 300,000 boys around the world with Duchenne.
Tyler has already set numerous climbing records. He has already climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro (age 8), Mt Aconcagua (age 9) and Mt. Elbrus (age 11).
But Tyler is not just challenging himself to set a record; his primary goal is to raise much needed awareness and funds to cure Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common and lethal muscle disease found in children. Duchenne afflicts approximately 300,000 boys worldwide. Boys with the disease are usually diagnosed by the age of 5, in a wheelchair by 12 and most don’t survive their mid-20s. Currently there is no cure for Duchenne.
“In one day we went from 12,500 feet to higher than 18,000 feet and my legs were so tired. I know what the kids with Duchenne feel when their legs don’t do what they want them to do.”
Tyler set the record for the youngest person to climb Mt. Whitney, the highest summit in the contiguous United States (14,505 feet) in a single day when he was 7 years old. He climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa (19,341 feet) in June 2012 at age 8, making him the second youngest in history to do so. In 2013 he became the youngest person to climb Mt. Aconcagua in South America (22,841 feet) at age 9. In 2015, at age 11, Tyler summited Mt. Elbrus in Russia (18,510 feet).
He is being trained and guided by two of the best mountaineers in the world. His father, a trained medic, accompanies him on climbs and can provide medical care if needed. Tyler has been exposed to altitude sickness, ice, snow, rain, and heat. He carries most of his own gear himself. Despite his age, Tyler is an experienced climber.
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July 1, 2012, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Climb Completed
At age 8, Tyler became the 2nd youngest person ever to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 feet, it is the tallest mountain on the African continent. It took him 8 days of climbing round trip, and he hiked 48.5 miles.
December 24, 2013, Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina, Climb Completed
At age 9, Tyler set a New World Record when he became the youngest person to summit Mt. Aconcagua. Aconcagua is the highest peak (22,841 ft.) in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. Only 30% of the 7,000 people who obtain permits to climb Aconcagua each year make the summit.
August 9, 2015, Mt. Elbrus, Russia, Climb Completed
At age 11 Tyler summited Mt. Elbrus. At 18,510 feet, this dormant volcano is the highest peak in the Caucasus Mountains and in Europe, and it is the tenth most prominent in the world.
August 2016, Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia
Mount Kosciuszko is the highest summit in Australia at 7,310 feet. This is the last of the Seven Summits Tyler will climb. It is located on the Main Range of the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park, part of the Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves, in New South Wales.
A fatal genetic disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy affects one in 3,500 boys and is the most common and lethal muscle disease found in children. Boys with Duchenne become progressively weaker as they get older and their muscles do not grow back. This devastating aspect of the disease is not lost on Tyler, who gets stronger with every training session.
Today there are 300,000 boys around the world battling Duchenne. There are no ethnic or cultural boundaries for this devastating genetic disease. Boys with Duchenne are often wheelchair bound by the mid-teens and most do not live past their 20s.
There is no cure but there is hope! The genetic defect that causes Duchenne has been identified and the first-ever pharmaceutical treatments are awaiting FDA approval. These treatments will be impactful for a small percentage of boys with Duchenne, but CureDuchenne will not stop until a cure is found for every boy with Duchenne.
“There is no cure but there is hope! The genetic defect that causes Duchenne has been identified and the first-ever pharmaceutical treatments are awaiting FDA approval.”
Imagine you are told your only child has an incurable disease and that there is nothing you can do about it? That’s what happened to Debra and Paul Miller, who founded CureDuchenne in 2004 after their son Hawken was diagnosed with Duchenne. At the time, there was no organization focused exclusively on finding a cure – there wasn’t enough being done.
CureDuchenne is focused on saving the lives of those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease that affects more than 300,000 boys worldwide. There is no treatment or cure for this inherited deadly muscle disease. CureDuchenne is leading the way to finding a cure and life-prolonging treatments. With support from CureDuchenne, three pharmaceutical treatments are awaiting FDA approval. These treatments may lessen the effects of the disease for those with certain mutations of Duchenne, but there is still much to be done to find a cure.
“For the love of our child, we’ve taken matters into our own hands and embarked on a path to find a cure within our son’s lifetime… Saving all children affected by Duchenne has become our life’s work.”
CureDuchenne is proud to support Tyler Armstrong in his heart-felt effort to help find a cure for this devastating disease.
Be part of the journey. Support Tyler’s campaign to climb the seven summits and help find a cure for Duchenne.
The media has already taken notice of Tyler and his determination. Over the past month, there have been more than 80 TV news stories about Tyler including ABC’s World News Tonight and numerous magazine, newspaper and radio stories, including People Magazine and ABC Radio’s Sports Call. Tyler’s message of hope for those with Duchenne has reached more than 2.7 million people so far.
Sponsors are making Tyler’s goals possible. Contact Karen Harley at or 949-872-2552 to support Tyler’s journey.
Karen Harley
VP of Marketing Communications
+1 949 872 2552
