Will Cross would number among Pittsburgh's top adventurers even if he never summited another snowy pinnacle or tackled another polar trek.
The Senator John Heinz History Center's Sports Museum saw to that when it placed his gear and the sled he pulled across Antarctica in a permanent exhibit.
The Highland Park adventurer will speak at the center tonight about his Everest expedition and promote the museum to 170 area teachers at the facility's inaugural teacher's night. The event was designed to debut teaching curriculums the center will place on its Web site.
Cross, 40, who has diabetes, taught at-risk students in Pine-Richland School District before leaving to become a full-time motivational speaker and climber.
"I'm really pleased to speak there. I was happy to donate the sled and gear that I pulled to the South Pole. It's great fun for me to be able to take my kids there to see it," Cross said.
But the mountaineer who summited Mt. Everest in 2005 and trekked across the South Pole in 2003 isn't about to slide into retirement. Instead, the father of six is tackling new challenges.
This spring, he will renew his bid to complete the Giant Mountain Challenge, in which he would summit seven 8,000-meter-plus mountains. He chalked up one success with his Everest summit.
"Lhotse is next. I'll be there in April and May, and then in September and October on Cho Oyu on the border of Tibet and Nepal," Cross said.
Despite his determination, Cross knows there are no guarantees where climbing is concerned.
Last year, he traveled to Nepal and climbed Lhotse to within 300 meters of the 8,500-meter summit before being forced to turn around. He said two of the climbers with him fell -- one woman to her death.
But Cross, who was diagnosed with type I diabetes 31 years ago, said he has something important to prove.
"The purpose of this challenge is to demonstrate that one can lead an extraordinary life with diabetes, an incurable global pandemic," he said.
"I've had great support. As a child, my parents always encouraged me to push my boundaries. As an adult, I have the loving care of my wife and children. That kind of support is critical when you're living with an incurable condition."
Although he has managed to escape permanent injury thus far, Cross said climbing is beginning to take a toll.
"I've had some minor frostbite. I still have all my toes. I'm not sure how long that is going to last, because every time I go out they get colder," he said.
But the opportunity to pursue his passion, talk about it and serve as a role model to others facing challenges is worth the cost.
"It's fun for me, as someone who was an educator and is a father and loves to climb," Cross said. "You have to be able to tell a compelling story, to be able to do that and influence people to take care of themselves."
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