This climber stepping up

He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his graduate degree from Lesley University, so Erik Weihenmayer is no stranger to Boston. But when Weihenmayer, 36, returns to town this weekend, he won't be here as a student. Instead, he'll be here as a teacher and an inspiration.

Weihenmayer, the first blind climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest, will be here tomorrow and Saturday to kick off a celebration for World TEAM (The Exceptional Athlete Matters) Sports, a nonprofit organization based in Boston. The group encourages disabled and inner-city youths to participate in sports and makes it possible by offering clinics and other inclusionary vehicles.

Tomorrow at the Westin Copley Place, there will be a reception and silent auction beginning at 6 p.m. In addition to Weihenmayer, who is the featured speaker, the event will welcome Mayor Thomas M. Menino as a guest speaker and will be emceed by Channel 4 sportscaster Steve Burton.

On Saturday, 150 kids ages 7-14 have been invited to take part in free sports clinics and Weihenmayer will teach a climbing clinic on a 35-foot wall at Boston University's Fitness and Recreation Center.

Weihenmayer, whose accomplishments include climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents, lost his sight when he was 13 and said he enjoys working with children. He has a daughter, Emma, who turns 5 next month.

"I think it's important for kids to see someone who is sort of an unexpected success story," said Weihenmayer, who lives in Colorado. "Being a blind climber is like being a Jamaican bobsledder. Words don't necessarily connect right away in people's minds. It's definitely unexpected. It's really about team. It's really about the power that comes about through a team and through sports that really gives meaning in your life.

"World TEAM Sports is really about the power of a diverse team. They bring in people who are disabled. They bring in people who might not normally get sports opportunities. They help them understand all the learning and all the power that happens through that. We've done some really cool stuff. On Saturday, we're going to do an all sports day. We're going to be introducing some disabled kids, blind kids, and some inner-city kids to rock climbing and different sports, and I'll be one of the volunteers helping kids climb the rock wall. It's a nice introduction."

As many peaks as Weihenmayer has climbed, and he has also run marathons, paraglided, skydived, and participated in grueling bicycling events, he still gets jitters before a big climb.

"I get nervous because so many things can turn you back -- the weather, team dynamics, being out of shape," he said. "You definitely don't want to do anything stupid. You want to make sure everything is safe. You definitely should get nervous but you shouldn't let that nervousness paralyze you. You have to take that fear and those nerves and translate them into a sense of focus."

He said since he and his wife, Shira, had their daughter, he has altered his schedule because he wants to be home. However, he still has some ambitious goals.

"Being a dad, I can't really go off and climb Everest for three months because I'm away too long," he said. "So I climb a lot of vertical faces in Canada and in Europe and South America. I'll be in the Dolomites in [northeast] Italy, planning a festival for disabled people. The outdoors and sports opportunities, they're not just for elite athletes or certain types of people. They're for everyone. They give value to everyone's lives."

He said it can be intimidating for people with disabilities to find a way to involve themselves in sports.

"A lot of times, people who are disabled or have a disadvantage in some way, sometimes they don't have the opportunity to take part, and they really lose out," he said. "World TEAM Sports tries to provide those types of opportunities. I've taken that mission. I do a lot of work with people. People who are disabled, they're scared to access the outdoors sometimes. They don't know how to do it so we're teaching people in wheelchairs how to get out on trails and teaching people who are blind how to rock climb."

He said the organization has opened up a new world for its participants.

"I think it's the beginning of a lot of very exciting adventures," he said. "The strength of World TEAM Sports is the people. They bring together these amazing groups of people."

Tickets for tomorrow's reception and auction are $175 each. Those interested in attending should contact Julie Banks at 617-262-3424 or via e-mail at jbanks@mpwi.org.