We are raising funds for Sam Luskin through Bare Maximum Climbing. Sam is a 16yo teen from Colorado who is hoping to be the youngest T1D to summit Pico de Orizaba, the 3rd highest peak in North America. Sam will be dedicating the proceeds of his climb to nonprofits that support Type 1 Diabetes and youth recovery.

When Sam was 11, he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He now handles multiple autoimmune diagnoses: T1D, celiac disease, psoriasis, and working on a thryroid disease and Ehrler Danlos Disease diagnosis.

When he was 12, he spent over half a year in residential treatment for mental health and substance use issues. He did the work. His final stint was a wilderness therapy program that helped him carve a new path.

He came with a different life. When he came home, he began rebuilding his life around a phrase that became his way forward: Bare Maximum. For Sam, that means living in the space between the bare minimum and perfection, and using whatever strength, energy, and capacity he has on a given day to do something meaningful anyway. That mindset helped a kid with multiple autoimmune diseases from Montrose, Colorado become a nationally competitive rock climber, summit seven 14ers in a single summer, and take all AP classes as a high school junior.

Now? He has been sober, stable, and healthy since January 2023. His goal is to show that his diagnosis and his past do not define how high he can climb.

This fundraiser has 2 parts. First, fundraising will help cover the specific costs of getting Sam to the summit of Pico de Orizaba--travel to Mexico, climbing with a professional guide company for the summit attempt, and making sure he has the glacier gear he needs. We plan to itemize all costs so supporters can clearly see how the funds are being used.

Then the second part--any fundraising beyond those trip expenses will be split between Riding on Insulin and Young People in Recovery, so Sam’s climb can also give back to other young people finding their own way forward. Riding on Insulin helps get T1D kids into skiing, and Young People in Recovery offers peer-led support to other teens in their recovery from substance use issues. For Sam, getting outside into the backcountry, especially with rock under his hands, is the most important part of his continued success. He wants to help other kids and teens have the same resources he has to stay healthy and sober.

If Sam’s story speaks to you, please consider supporting this climbing and storytelling project and sharing it with others. Every bit of support helps Sam keep going with a body that does not always cooperate and a life rebuilt from the bottom.

Every climb is a comeback.