Rob Hill

Rob Hill continues to pursue his passion for mountain climbing, even though he suffered from Inflammatory Bowel Disease and is an Ostomate. At 23 years of age, Rob was a strong, healthy athlete who had never been sick in his life. Then, confronted with daily diarrhea and sustained, stabbing abdominal cramps, he was eventually diagnosed with Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

As his condition grew worse, Rob lost 80 pounds and a year and half later his large intestine was removed. “When it came down to losing my colon or losing my life, it wasn’t a hard decision to make.”

Twelve years later Rob is midway through a five year campaign he calls “No Guts-Know Glory!”  Rob is the first Ostomate to climb the Seven Summits. “To think that I have made it to this point is a dream come true. Once I could barely climb up the stairs from the debilitating pain of living with IBD. Climbing mountains was something that was hard to imagine back then.”

For his inspirational efforts, Rob was recognized by the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America. Rob continues to break down barriers for people living with intestinal diseases. “I let people know that it is okay to talk about these conditions and we shouldn’t hide behind them.”  

Rolf Benirschke

Rolf Benirschke is another Ostomate who has performed amazing feats. At one time he was an up-and-coming place kicker for the San Diego Chargers, earning a reputation as one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. But then a little understood intestinal illness turned his life upside down.

He tells his story through his book titled “Alive and Kicking.” Despite four major abdominal surgeries and wearing an Ostomy pouch, he surprised his medical doctors and his Charger teammates by returning to the NFL for seven more seasons. Rolf’s story is one of fear and faith. It is a story about the indomitable human spirit that lives in all of us. If you are suffering from Crohns or you are planning to have Ostomy surgery this book will be very encouraging to you.