We sat
down (not quite literally) before his lil trip here to Singapore and shared
snippets of his life & motivations before this Friday's event.
Introduce Cason Crane in ONE sentence.
My
name is Cason Crane and I'm a 20-year-old adventurer, mountain climber, and
LGBTQ rights activist who is currently raising awareness for suicide prevention
in the LGBTQ community by climbing the highest mountain on each continent.
What were your motivations behind starting
'Rainbow Summits'?
I
wanted to use my personal initiative to climb the "Seven
Summits" as a platform to raise awareness for issues facing LGBTQ youth. I
was personally passionate about the issue of suicide prevention in the LGBTQ
community, and so I recognized this opportunity to try to give back
while also pursuing a lifelong dream of mine.
Climbing & scaling mountains ain't easy
and not to mention dangerous. What got you started?
I
got started mountain climbing when I was 15. My mother and I decided to pursue
a fun challenge, and so we went and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest
mountain in Africa. Honestly, the moment I reached the summit of Kili, I was
hooked. Something about the combination of an individual challenge,
the beauty of the outdoors, and the internal reflection you get from being off
the grid make mountain climbing a personal passion for me. I haven't looked
back since!
What made you decide to raise money for 'The Trevor
Project'?
I
was motivated to raise money and awareness for The Trevor Project by the tragic
death of a good friend of mine, and of Tyler Clementi, who was a gay student at
Rutgers, a university in my home state of New Jersey. After Charlotte and Tyler's
deaths, I knew that I needed to try to make a difference on this issue, and The
Trevor Project was (and is) the only organization providing comprehensive
suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to LGBTQ youth in the
United States.
Have you encountered any obstacles thus far?
I
have encountered many obstacles...far too many to recount here. One of the
things that make mountaineering such a compelling sport is that it requires
more than just physical exertion. There is that, obviously, but it is also
hugely mental, and requires a lot of preparation, planning, and logistics.
Basically, that means you've got to be on your toes all the time and that
you're faced with all sorts of difference challenges, even at times when you
don't expect them.
What's your greatest challenge yet?
I would
say that the most significant challenge I have faced so far was my period of
internal reflection after I was unable to summit Denali (Mt. McKinley, the
highest mountain in North America), last summer due to weather conditions. I
had hoped that it would be my fourth of the Seven Summits, and I had to ask
myself a lot of tough questions after I didn't make the top. "Could I
complete my challenge?" "Do I have the mental and physical strength
to keep going?" "What would this mean for my project and my fundraising?"
were just a few of the many questions floating around in my head. In the end, I
realized that even though I hadn't summited Denali -- even if I never was able
to -- it would mean a lot more for me to keep going despite that setback because in
reality it doesn't matter where on
the mountain you end up as long as you know you've given it your all and tried
your best.
What have you taken away from it so far?
I've
taken away so many things...I mean to think of how much I've learned in the
past year about the world, mountain climbing, public speaking, fundraising...it
really runs the gamut. I would say my top take-away from the project is that I
have learned that anyone and
everyone can and SHOULD be
an activist for some issue that they are passionate about. I am passionate
about LGBTQ issues, and I am trying to do what I can to make positive change
happen by contributing my unique interests and talents. If we all do this, the world will be a
much better and happier planet.
What are you looking forward to here in Singapore?
I'm
most looking forward to meeting and connecting with other young LGBTQ people in
Singapore and talking about how they can climb their own "Everest,"
be it literal or metaphorical!
