Menomonee Falls Army veteran strives to be first Purple Coronary heart recipient to climb Seven Summit

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. (CBS 58) — Benjamin Breckheimer is an Army veteran who grew up in Menomonee Falls, and ideal now, he is poised to do a thing no Purple Heart receiver has at any time finished. He set a objective to climb the highest mountains on all 7 continents — a feat named the Seven Summits. It is a aim he set out to realize following being injured in Afghanistan.

When you communicate to Breckheimer, there’s one particular detail that will become apparent proper absent. He normally has a significant smile on his deal with, even when he failed to have a good deal to smile about.

“There have been undoubtedly some dim days. A lot of dim times,” Breckheimer mentioned when he was interviewed over Zoom from his recent home in South Carolina.

Breckheimer enlisted in the Military in 2002 and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009.

“Sadly, 3 months into my tour, the pretty to start with improvised explosive product I hit ended up taking me out of combat and ending my navy profession,” he stated.

He was airlifted out with a concussion, perforated eardrum, fractured vertebrae and intense leg accidents.

“My decrease suitable leg was really hanging by not even an inch-thick strip of skin,” he explained.

But shots from that time demonstrate him in his hospital mattress with a smile and a thumbs up. Stepfather Tim Lyons remembers chatting to the medical doctors about the severity of Breckheimer’s injuries.

“He appears me in the eye, and he goes, I can always get the leg off, I can in no way place it again on,” Lyons explained. “And it was like so poignant to me, because it was like I’m in your corner, let’s just go with it.”

Breckheimer claimed he was surprised when he regained consciousness.

“Truthfully, waking up from the first crisis surgeries and looking at that I continue to experienced my leg attached was very stunning,” he said.

His recovery took 4 yrs, and during that time, he also went by means of a divorce. It is really a chain of situations that remaining him wanting to know what to do following.

“I didn’t truly have a direction in my everyday living,” he reported of that time period.

But his struggles ultimately took him to new heights, rather basically.

“I truthfully felt like I bit off additional than I could chew in the beginning,” he said with a giggle.

Breckheimer started out climbing the world’s tallest mountains. He is summitted 6 of the infamous Seven Summits — the tallest peaks on every continent. Pictures present him on Mt. Elbrus in Russia, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Aconcagua in Argentina. One more photo displays him with his Menomonee Falls Large Faculty flag in Antarctica.

Breckheimer claimed climbing improved his daily life.

“It has 100% aided with the psychological and psychological recovery. Absolutely,” he reported. “All in all, it truly is actually assisted my recovery method mainly because it was offering me a aim.”

He is crossed ladders over deep crevasses in the ice. He also survived an earthquake and avalanche on Mt. Everest in 2015. He arrived at Everest’s summit two many years later on in 2017.

Lyons can’t disguise how proud he is.

“Ben is aware of, I get a minor emotional about this simply because it can be so — to have raised a child to reach these heights, it can be wonderful,” Lyons claimed. “It is really a amazing story, I know it really is our story. I enjoy that the community and the environment likes to hear it.”

Breckheimer is also inspiring a new generation by telling his tale to young children all about.

“Just to hear how thrilled they get, genuinely drives me even more,” he stated.

It’s also driven him to return to Mt. Denali in Alaska, the highest peak in North The us. He first tried to summit Denali in 2019, but temperature created it impossible. Lyons jokingly explained Breckheimer has 9 life.

“Ben is kind of like a cat in a way. So, although he could have burned up a few, he is obtained a bunch remaining. We are going to journey that teach for a although,” Lyons mentioned.

Breckheimer left for Alaska on Could 29, and programs to get to the top rated of the mountain by June 21. If he does, he will be the first Purple Heart recipient to climb the 7 Summits.

“That was a seriously huge part of this journey, was that I wished to be the 1st at some thing,” he stated.

Lyons claimed the full family will be preserving tabs on his progress from Menomonee Falls.

“From that really moment to where by we stand now, it really is just been an extraordinary journey of electricity, toughness, all by Ben and the men and women who help him,” Lyons claimed.

Breckheimer is a mentor with the group Purple Heart Summits. For extra data, visit https://www.american300.org/.