Everest at Eight

Frankie very recently reached Everest Base Camp, hiked right into the heart of the Himalayas on a 14 days trek to reach very-almost the top of the world, at an ear-popping 5,364 meters (17,598 feet). For context, that’s roughly six Scafell Pikes on top of each other…and Scafell Pike is England’s highest mountain! He tackled what is perhaps the world’s most famous and ambitious trek, at the age of just eight.

In September Frankie became the youngest known Briton ever to summit the very top Mytikas peak of Mount Olympus, the Mountain of the Gods and, at a towering 2,918m / 9,573ft, one of the highest mountains in Europe. (He also raised more than £3,000 for Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team at the same time.)

Two weeks before his Olympus record, Frankie also completed the entire classification of 214 Wainwright Fells. (He began his peak-bagging at the age of three, when he scrambled and summited Catbells.)

Since his return from Base Camp, Frankie has been interviewed on ITV national teatime news and BBC breakfast television, and appeared in national print including Daily Mail, Metro, the Daily Express, and numerous online news sites and local newspapers.

On film and in interview, he has proven himself a charismatic and chatty young media star, full of personality and oozing passion for hiking and climbing outdoors.

In the addition to the national and international media coverage about this pint-sized Cumbrian hero’s trip to a place so few people ever visit, Frankie is in the news right now having recently shared the annual Inspiration Stage with national treasure Ben Fogle, at the 2024 National Outdoor Expo (performing as youngest guest speaker), cutting the event’s ceremonial ribbon with adventurer Leo Houlding. Social media has lit up about these unlikely pairings, hailing the next-generation adventurer to inspire and encourage people for decades to come.

Frankie is a finalist in the 2024 “Pride of Cumbria Awards” and 2024 “BBC Make A Difference Awards”, and late last year, Frankie was named “Rising Star” in the BBC Cumbria Sports Personality Awards 2023.

Frankie is a record breaker, a media darling, but most importantly: a vocal ambassador for children’s physical and mental wellbeing. And we all know well how physical health and wellbeing for young people, along with good mental health, are increasingly important topics… He is also the personification of adventuring, whatever your age or background.

Frankie dreams big and is not scared to chase those dreams.

There are more stories and achievements to come.

And he is only just eight years old.