A message from Stuart

Hi, thanks for visiting the onemansmountain website.

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1996 and told it was likely I would spend the rest of my life trying to cope with the symptom's of schizophrenia and nothing more.

I have never accepted the above statement. Nor do I accept the labels and unfair understanding and discrimination attached to the condition. I always believed I would overcome my schizophrenia and one day regain control of my life.

Now in 2008, I am a writer, a photographer, a traveller and a person that is used as an ambassador and spokesperson for people who share my past diagnosis. I am simply not the man who others thought I would be. They were very wrong and did not take on board my passion and self determination to achieve personal dreams.

Everest is symbolic of the great mountain of struggle I have had to overcome to regain control over my life. I hope my climb will help many over the World to have a greater understanding of a very misunderstood condition. I hope my climb will help inspire people with mental illness the World over to start living their own dream and realise their own true potential.

We all deserve to dream and we all deserve to be able to live that dream, no matter the difficulties life and others may throw at us. Everest is my dream, Go out there and live yours!

 Stuart Baker-Brown.