News & Events
In November Lebanese/Armenian athlete Mr. Arn Katchadourian, visited ACS after completing the Beirut Marathon to share his story of climbing Mount Everest in 2016. He spoke to a small audience in the auditorium while showing them the film he made of climbing Mt. Everest and the difficulties of climbing that mountain.
Although Mr. Katchadourian was born in Lebanon, he left for Marseille, at 19 years old, when the war broke out. A jeweler by background, he opened his first store in Marseille when he was 24 years old and his second one a few years later. Life in Marseille kept him busy between the two stores that he didn’t even have time to enjoy any sports.
It wasn’t until he was visiting Lebanon, 20 years after he left, that he found a passion for running. When he arrived home in Marseille, he put on his sneakers and ran the 160 km Diagonal of Fools, followed by the Ultra Trail of Mont Blanc. Both mountain running courses that he admits, hooked him on mountains and climbing. From there he went on to scale many of the largest peaks in the world. It was in 2016 that he conquered the highest of them all, Mount Everest.
Today he organizes races and gives talks about this ascent up Mt. Everest. He explains that he climbed Mt. Everest in honor of all of the genocides committed in the 20th and 21st centuries. And of course, for the victims of war everywhere.