When daredevil Joby Ogwyn reaches the top of Mount Everest in May he will have only just begun his most terrifying stunt to date.
Adorned in a custom-made wingsuit, Ogywn plans to jump from the highest point on Earth and propel 10,000 vertical feet, reaching speeds up to 150 mph. He will be the first person in history to ever attempt such a feat, and all of it will be captured in a live broadcast on the Discovery Channel, the outlet states on its website.
"I'm very scared. I think it's the fear of death or destruction that kind of keeps you above that," Ogywn, 39, told CNN on Wednesday at skydiving practice. "But I'm not afraid to die. I'm not afraid to live my life on my own terms. And this is my dream and I am willing to risk everything to make it happen."
But if there’s anyone who can pull off the stunt, he’s the man do it. According to his website, by age 26, Ogwyn had climbed the "Seven Summits," the tallest peaks on the world's seven continents. And in 2008, he climbed from the base of the south side route of Mount Everest to the summit in just nine-and-a-half hours.
"This will be the final piece of my dream. Ever since I was a kid, I've imagined what it would be like to fly. I can't think of a more spectacular backdrop than Everest," Ogwyn said, according to a Discovery press release. "Everything that I've ever accomplished in my life has just been practice for what I'm about to do."
Ogwyn is no stranger to showcasing his extreme action adventures on live television. In 2007, he paired up with National Geographic for “Adventure Wanted” to showcase a variety of his skills, including BASE jumping and car racing.
The Discovery Channel, which also televised skydiver Felix Baumgartner's vertigo-inducing jump from the edge of space in 2012, has yet to announce a formal air date for “Everest Jump Live” but said it will be broadcast live sometime in May.
Ogwyn's wife, Flaminia, plans to watch the death-defying stunt on TV.
"She probably worries about me like any good wife," Ogwyn told The Telegraph. "She freaks out every once in a while, but she knows I'm conservative in my approach and I will make the right decisions. My goal is, no matter what, to come back and spend the rest of my life with her."
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