Bob Wheeler says he’s not a special person and has no athletic abilities, yet he is the oldest man in history to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest freestanding mountain.

He summited on Oct. 2, 2014, at the age of 85 years and 201 days. Years later, he’s still inspiring others through his example and determination to not let the couch gobble him up.

He talks to Growing Bolder about his continued passion for climbing mountains, despite surgeries on both of his knees and shoulders. Bob explains that everyone is going to experience aches and pains as they get older, but that shouldn’t be an excuse to not do something extraordinary.

Bob passionately explains the physical and psychological benefits of doing big things like this.

Plus, he shares stories about his historic climb and why there were times when he worried he wouldn’t make it to the top. This retired psychology professor from St. Louis University explains why people do “silly” things like this, something he delves into deeper in his book Mountains and Minds.

At 87, he’s still making big plans, including something extraordinary for his 90th birthday. Wait until you hear his plans!