 "Photo: Photo courtesy of John Rudolf’s blog")
The adventurous John Rudolf is currently working his way up to the base camp of Mount Everest, not only to complete his circuit of the highest points on each of the seven continents, but also to benefit Gonzaga’s “Zags in Zambia” program.
“John is a character. He moves at a different pace than a lot of people in terms of who he is, the work that he does and his passions,” said Dr. Josh Armstrong, director of the Comprehensive Leadership Program and Gonzaga-in-Zambezi. “Lucky for us one of his passions is Gonzaga University and the Zambia programs.”
The climb is meant to raise awareness and money to promote Gonzaga’s Jesuit mission in Africa, along with three other nonprofit organizations, according to Armstrong. “He is taking the intersection of things he really loves.”
“It is really cool how he is talking about this climb using it as fund raising for this cause,” sophomore Nolan Grady said. “He is always saying ‘I don’t want this to be about me, I don’t want this to be about me. This is about Gonzaga-in-Zambia.’ ”
Rudolf founded the Seattle-based Summit Capital and has done much philanthropy and service.
“He has donated money personally but he is also trying to get students, benefactors and anyone really to know a little more about what we are doing in Zambia and also have people contribute through his climb,” Armstrong said. “He is encouraging the connections he has to give so much per foot that he climbs. When you are climbing 29,000 feet, that could end up being a lot of money.”
As the son of the late Kermit M. Rudolf, the Gonzaga Corporate Counsel after whom the fitness center is named, the younger Rudolf has a long history with the University. He attended the Zambia program with Armstrong two years ago. “At that time I think he was able to bring his own expertise and see the potential of the program,” Armstrong said.
By ascending Mount Everest, Rudolf will become only the 105th person to stand on the highest points on each continent. These include 22,840-foot Aconcagua in Argentina; 18,481-foot Mount Elbrus in Russia (representing Europe); 16,067-foot Mount Vinson in Antarctica; 20,320-foot Denali in Alaska; the 19,339-foot Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; and both 7,310-foot Mount Kosciuszko in Australia and 16,024-foot Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia for Oceania.
The fact that he is 62 years old does not seem to slow him down. “Sometimes I wake up in the morning like that character in the Kafka novel [‘Metamorphosis’], I look at myself and say, ‘How did I get old?’ Because I don’t feel like that guy,” said Rudolf to his friend andNew York Times Columnist Timothy Egan.
“[Rudolf] is one of the most dynamic people I have ever met,” Grady said. “He always has something to say.”
Rudolf’s efforts seem to be working: “We have already noticed that there has been more traffic on our Web site, based on people who have gone to visit John’s Web site,”
Armstrong said. “He is raising awareness about some of things we are doing and is committed to helping Gonzaga with this partnership with our Zambia friends.”
Gonzaga now has two study and service programs in Zambia, with one more in the works.
“There is our CLP program in Zambezi, there is one being championed by the Psychology
Department in Chimfunshi [Zambia] and then there is a new one just starting up this year that the School of Education is doing,” Armstrong said. “All of us are kind of working together and also trying to help students find the best fit for what their needs are academically.”
Besides Zags in Zambia, the other programs that Rudolf is promoting through his climb are Notre Dame University’s Andean Health and Development, YMCA of Greater Seattle’s
Boy’s Outdoor Leadership Development and University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Institute for Prostate Cancer Research.
“He is doing this adventure that he wants to do for himself but he is not making it about himself,” Grady said.
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