CrossFit Coach Rope Climbs Equivalent Height of Mount Everest, Winds Up in Hospital for 5 Days
2,296: That’s how many rope climbs Parker Fontecchio did on November 20th.
Yes, in an effort to raise money for Movember, a nonprofit that supports men’s health, the CrossFit Level 2 coach and athlete at CrossFit Tempe in Tempe, AZ, decided to climb the equivalent height of Mount Everest (29,032 feet) in rope climbs.
The Details
Fontecchio completed all 2,296 rope climbs in 25 hours and 40 minutes, raising $6,000 for men’s mental health in the process.
His original plan was to complete 15-foot rope climbs, but after about five hours, he decided to switch to 12-foot rope climbs to finish the task because he had tweaked his biceps.
- “The hardest moment of the climb was at about 3 a.m. I had 600 climbs left, and I felt like I couldn’t do it anymore,” he said. “Everything hurt, and my biceps needed to be massaged after every time up the rope. I completely broke down in tears.”
To save you from doing the math, this means Fontecchio did one rope climb approximately every 40 seconds for 25-plus hours.
- He added: “The plan was to do two reps almost touch and go and then rest for about a minute. I was able to hold that pace for about 14 hours. Then we switched to doing singles going up about every 30 seconds.”
And during the final few hours, after his 3 a.m. breakdown, he lost this pacing, “and it was just to get up the rope whenever I felt able,” he said.
A Cautionary Tale
Although his hands were “shockingly OK,” and he managed to avoid any major rips, Fontecchio said his body was “very beat up.”
The truth: Fontecchio ended up in the hospital for five days after the challenge with what he called “severe rhabdo and borderline kidney and liver failure.” Further, his feet had massive blisters and rope burns, and he suffered a pulled biceps and hamstring.
- Though Fontecchio said he is nearly recovered now, he stressed that he will not attempt this particular challenge again next year. That said, he plans to find a new one to tackle.
Not His First Rodeo
This wasn’t Fontecchio’s first time doing something unthinkable in the name of a good cause.
- In 2020, he did a 72-mile farmer carry around Lake Tahoe with 22 pounds in each hand for veterans’ suicide prevention.
- Last year, he flipped a 200-pound tire for 24 hours to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. He flipped the tire 7.5 miles in total.
The Big Picture
To some, Fontecchio’s efforts might seem difficult to understand, but for him, it just makes sense.
- “I personally have struggled with mental health a lot in my life, not knowing when to ask for help or to even show emotions,” he said. “I believed for a long time people who were mentally tough didn’t show emotion, let alone even talk about it.”
He realizes now how important it is to talk, and this is his message to other men who feel the
the way he did.
- “Don’t be afraid to show your emotions. Don’t be afraid to talk about your feelings. Doing so isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a testament to your strength and maturity,” he said.
Despite the aftermath, Fontecchio said the rope climb challenge was well worth it.
- “The whole goal was to bring awareness to the cause, and I’m doing that, so it was worth it,” Fontecchio said.
He added: “Once I did the last climb, there was a massive sense of relief and accomplishment. It was the best feeling in the world being proud of myself for what I just did.”
More CrossFit Stories
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- Semifinal Veteran Alison Scudds Readies Herself for 2025 Season and Another Run at CrossFit Games Glory
- CrossFit’s New Athlete Council – Learning Lessons From the Past
Featured image: @jthealy412 / Instagram
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