Chicago retiree becomes oldest American to climb Mount Everest

CHICAGO, Ill. -- A 75-year-old from the suburbs of Chicago just became the oldest American to summit Mount Everest.

Mountaineer Arthur Muir, from Northbrook, Illinois, trained for about two years. He said his extreme adventure made him feel young!

"When I'm spending 60 days with people, you know, I don't have a mirror, so I can't see what I look like. I feel like I'm 55 because I can't see myself. Then at the end, I look in the mirror and say, 'Oh yes, you are 75.' But you forget when you're with people doing all this stuff."

Muir said conquering Everest has been a goal of his since meeting Jim Whittaker, the first American to climb the famous mountain.

"So here's the very first American to climb Mount Everest and he came to our school. So I was in high school, age 18, I guess, something like that. And I just never forgot about it."

Muir began mountaineering at the age of 68. In 2019, the 75-year-old attempted to climb Mount Everest but did not achieve his goal as he suffered an ankle injury. Through it all, he said his family was his motivating force.

"If you love someone and they have a dream, and it's a possibility, why in the world would you ever say no," said Muri's wife, Leslie.

Muir said he felt relieved, happiness and a sense of euphoria when he made it down from the mountain. He was accompanied by a team of 30 mountaineers. Muir said he's not done adventuring and is in the process of planning his next challenge.