It’s 70 years since one of the most extraordinary achievements occurred. It’s the accomplishment that is spoken of and remembered, and for many, it is often given as the gauge of success. And so, it is no surprise that the name of this one man is carved indelibly into history. In his home country, he’s considered a hero and has been voted the most admired person in the nation. He even has a commemorative five-stamp series to honour his status and achievements. He is the best-known New Zealander in the world. But it’s not just his achievement as a mountaineer, the conqueror of Mount Everest, the first man with Tenzing Norgay to climb to the top of the highest mountain in the world that he is honoured. It’s because Edmund Hillary showed us how an ordinary life can become a truly extraordinary one. He has shown us that greatness is possible. In his 1975 autobiography Nothing Venture, Nothing Win, he said: “that even the mediocre can have adventures, and even the fearful can achieve.”
