Didier Nobels, president of St. Andrews Rotary Club; Dr. Pat Hickey, keynote speaker; and Rotarian Gary Hogue, who introduced the program. USC's Dr. John Patrick "Pat" Hickey discussed his avocation, the scaling of the highest peak on each continent, at the January 15, 2008, meeting of the St. Andrews Rotary Club. Hickey culminated his talk with his May 2007 conquest of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, Nepal.

Hickey is a native of Canada who has lived approximately half his life in America and has been described as a cross between Florence Nightingale and Indiana Jones. This description is one he is not likely to live down since he is a member of the Nursing Faculty of USC and has multiple post- graduate degrees in Nursing. In his "spare time," he and his wife travel around the world with backpacks and traverse the most severe mountains even though Hickey has a severe case of acrophobia.

Hickey planned his conquests of the highest mountains between 2001- 2007 based upon finances and political unrest.

First (2001) was Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina, with a summit at 23,000 feet.

Second (2002) was Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, with a summit at 19,000 feet.

Third (2003) was Mt. McKinley, Alaska, with a summit at 20,000 feet.

Fourth (2004) was Mt. Elbrus, Russia, with a summit of 18,500 feet.

Fifth (2005) was Puncak Jaya, Indonesia, with a summit at 16,000 feet. Jaya is only four degrees from the Equator and is surrounded by unex plored rainforest.

Sixth (2006) was Vinson Massif, Antarctica, with a summit rising to 16.000 feet. Hickey spent Christmas of 2006 in Antarctica and introduced Cocky to the bottom of the world.

And, finally, seventh (2007) and most difficult of all, was Mount Everest, Nepal, with a summit of 29,000 feet.

"Altitude and weather are the main obstacles to summiting Everest. The mountaineering challenges are among the most famous in the world," per Hickey's web site AMERCAN.US.

On Mount Everest USC's Cocky was introduced to the top of the world, thus completing Hickey's commitment. Cocky was later placed in a shadowbox and presented to President Sorensen. At the base of Mount Everest, the U.S. Postal System delivered NASCAR's flag to Hickey, and it was also taken to the top of the world on 5/24/07. Hickey later presented the flag to the president of NASCAR and also met Jeff Gordon. This paved the way for some nursing scholarships.

Because of Hickey's nursing talents, he has been able to assist with some of the most severe physical ramifications of mountain climbing. He has shared with other climbers his expertise with regard to severe sunburns and the severe cerebral or pulmonary edema that can be experienced at increasing altitudes.