Mark Pattison, a former football player at the University of Washington and the NFL has set out a goal to become the first NFL player to climb all seven summits. Yet it was a walk around the block in Santa Monica that forced him to ask himself, ‘How did I get here?’ and eventually, ‘What am I going to do about it?’

He joins host Yogi Roth on the LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS podcast to discuss his journey from the field to the mountain, as he recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro alongside best friend and former teammate Jim Mora with the non-profit—whose goal is to build 32 water wells in East Africa while empowering veterans.

He dives into the mental preparation for each climb, how he has found his ‘true purpose,’ and what it is like at the top.

His vivid storytelling will have you feeling you are a freshman struggling on the UW football team, actualizing a dream of earning a roster spot in the NFL and traversing four of the seven summits in the world.

He shares lessons learned from the great Don James, John Wooden’s impact on him, as well as the 7 principles that allow him to reach the pinnacle of each climb with his philosophical pyramid known as SUMMITS:

S: Seed, the why.

U: Unleash, the gameplan.

M: Movement, the first step.

M: Measure, the analysis.

I: Improve, are you growing or dying?

T: Traverse, the choices when it is difficult.

S: Success, paying it forward.

This candid conversation will nudge you to engage with others and seek your purpose.

Follow Mark on Instagram or at

Visit the Waterboys non-profit at

Mark Pattison reaches the top

Mark among a village in Africa

Mark and Jim reach the summit