After conquering the world's fourth-largest peak and going on an African safari, 8-year-old Yorba Linda resident Tyler Armstrong wants to be the youngest person to climb Mt. Aconcagua -- the tallest peak in the Americas.
The do-gooder with the toothy smile and hundreds of Facebook fans just climbed the 19,341-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro, raising $9,700 to find a cure for Duchenne, the most common and most lethal form of muscular dystrophy.
"It was cool to be on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro," said Tyler in a statement on Monday, a day after completing the feat with his father and CureDuchenne members. "I did it! I climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro for my friends ..."
It took Tyler six days to crest the summit, a difficult climb with high winds, thin air and sub-freezing temperatures.
He is the second youngest person to climb Kilimanjaro, behind Keats Boyd, who was 7 when he reached the "Roof of Africa" in 2008.
Debra Miller, co-founder and CEO of CureDuchenne, celebrated the feat and was pleased that the money raised will go toward a great cause.
"The key is getting the money into the hands of the researchers so we can save this generation of boys," she said.
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Tyler's Facebook fan page is filled with praise.
"Go Tyler! You are so awesome and make Yorba Linda proud!" wrote Kristy Tayles Foster.
"We wish you all the best and know you will be successful. We have 2 grandsons, Tyler and Blake, with Duchenne's MD and they will be following you. Go Tyler Go!" said Herb Warren.
Tyler is no stranger to big mountain peaks.
He's climbed six big mountains, including the tallest peak in the continental United States, Mt. Whitney.
His next adventure is the 22,841-foot peak, Mt. Aconcagua, the tallest in the Americas.
He plans to conquer that when he turns 9.
If he succeeds, he would be the youngest person to reach the top of that mountain.
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