Nervous energy charged the air as runners from all walks of life milled about waiting for the start of The Speed Project 2023.
Reaching New Heights
By Suzanne Kubler
Kia Ravanfar has climbed to the summit of Mount Everest and skied back down parts of it. He’s flown off some of the tallest peaks in the world and completed four Himalayan expeditions. He big-wave surfs, pilots private planes and hang-glides, skydives, wingsuits and speed-flies.
But Kia, a structural engineering manager with the F/A-18 program in El Segundo, California, says he’s not a daredevil. He believes pushing limits and self-discovery are part of human nature.
“We all have the desire within us to see what we’re capable of physically, mentally and emotionally,” said Kia.
Kia’s passion for extreme sports started in 2001 when he began climbing during his senior year of high school. He said he wasn’t great at other sports and found himself drawn to climbing, which doesn’t involve scorecards or coaches.
One of the first goals Kia set as a 17-year-old was climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park — alone. Six years later he made it happen. The climb, which only a handful of people in history have ever completed solo, took him 15 days without a climbing partner.
“That climb was the single most difficult thing I have done in my life. It pushed me to my limits mentally and physically. I took huge falls, battled difficult climbing, fatigue and storms. But it never occurred to me to quit. I knew I had to finish this climb. For me, completion would be a lesson in perseverance; quitting would mean giving in to my fears and giving up on my goals,” said Kia.
With this achievement checked off the list, Kia could see his future goal-setting possibilities were limitless.
“That was the first time I realized I could accomplish anything I set my mind to,” he said.
Mt. Everest
That’s when Kia set his sights on climbing Mount Everest. To prepare, he spent countless hours training, including running laps up Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
“Sunshine or storm, I ran up the highest peaks,” he said. “I trained all the time — even when I was sleeping, I was dreaming of training.”
In the spring of 2021, Kia set off on an eight-week expedition in Nepal to face the tallest peak on the planet.
“Eight-thousand-meter climbing is extremely dangerous. On any given expedition, a fatality rate of 10% would not be unheard of,” said Kia, who successfully summitted Mount Everest on May 11 of that same year. “But I only see grace in the danger. We are all here on borrowed time.”
A Corresponding Career
Kia said his passion for aerospace engineering is an extension of his desire to continuously reach new heights.
“Aviation by its very nature is an adventure,” said Kia, who spent his childhood designing, building and flying model airplanes.
Kia likens his 17-year career with Northrop Grumman to his time in the mountains and his love for extreme sports.
“Each day I work to provide our country, our allies and the warfighter with the most cutting-edge tools. It’s a passion with purpose. I want to maintain our freedom and uphold the principles of our nation. Engineering at Northrop Grumman always pushes the boundaries of possible, just like I do when I’m climbing,” he said.
Each day I work to provide our country, our allies and the warfighter with the most cutting-edge tools. It’s a passion with purpose. I want to maintain our freedom and uphold the principles of our nation. Engineering at Northrop Grumman always pushes the boundaries of possible, just like I do when I’m climbing.
You’ve Got This
Kia doesn’t believe the goals he’s accomplished make him special — he’s convinced anyone can reach their dreams if they fully dedicate themselves. Kia said he knows how easy it can be to come up with reasons not to but it’s important to keep reaching.
“If you really want to do something, you can — and will,” he said.
Kia understands that not everyone’s goal is to climb Mount Everest, but he believes life is worth setting lofty goals and hitting the mark.
“It’s about committing to what’s meaningful to you,” said Kia. “And it’s possible for everyone.”
Photos courtesy of Kia Ravanfar and Dennis Sattler
