Matt Snook and Pete Sunnucks dared to dream. 

They met through the Air Training Corps 8 years ago through a mutual friend John ‘JT’ Thornton, a lieutenant in the Royal Marines, and became best friends. When ‘JT’ was tragically killed in Afghanistan in 2008, Matt (24) a Royal Marines Commando with his own tough tour of Afghanistan still fresh in his mind, and Pete (27), an Aeronautical Engineer with over 4 years experience working on the Joint Strike Fighter – the military’s new state of the art fighter jet, united to pursue a life-long ambition in honour of their fallen friend. 

On the 23rd May 2010 at 7.20am they became the first people to summit the highest mountain on earth for Help for Heroes and the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation.

Their journey to the top saw set-back after set-back and demonstrates an utter determination to succeed against adversity, as well as leadership, teamwork and a shared belief in a core purpose.  They survived hypoxia, pneumonia, pulmonary and cerebral oedemas, crevasses, white-out blizzards and the constant risk of avalanche, but against all odds and against medical advice they still managed to touch roof of the World.

They are not accomplished climbers, mountaineers or adventurers; they are simply ordinary people doing extraordinary things.