{"id":62719,"date":"2022-03-03T12:37:58","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T19:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=62719"},"modified":"2026-04-02T15:30:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:30:24","slug":"lasik-success-stories-matt-moniz-everest-mountaineer-world-record-climber-pilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/lasik-success-stories-matt-moniz-everest-mountaineer-world-record-climber-pilot\/","title":{"rendered":"A vision for his future: mountaineering and serving his country as a pilot"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Mountaineer
Mountaineer and pilot, Matt Moniz, poses with his plane. He has perfect vision thanks to LASIK surgery and has applied to serve in the Air National Guard. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ground shook as a 7.8 magnitude earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, prompting a Colorado high school student and other climbers at the Everest Base Camp to run for cover.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe jumped behind rocks, pulled neck gaiters over our faces and sat there for about a minute, then we started to look for people. The debris cloud lasted about two minutes. It was like a wall of snow hitting you,\u201d said Matt Moniz, who was just 17 at the time. (Listen to Moniz describe the avalanche during an interview on Colorado Public Radio<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Matt and his climbing partners were preparing to make their summit bid when the avalanche thundered down Pumori \u2014 a peak just west of Everest. The blast of snow killed 23 people who had been on Everest and pulverized tents and equipment. Matt and his teammates were uninjured, but the earthquake and its aftermath forced a big change in plans.<\/p>\n

Matt indefinitely postponed his dream of summiting Everest, and he and his climbing partner, Willie Benegas, instead joined the rescue and recovery efforts.<\/p>\n

They spent a month in Nepal raising money to hire 800 local porters to carry food to remote villages that had suffered severe damage and had been cut off following the 2015 quake.<\/p>\n

While Matt eventually climbed Everest in 2018 and has set three mountaineering world records, the aid and recovery work left an indelible impression.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most memorable time I\u2019ve spent in the Khumbu Valley and in Nepal was in 2015. I learned a lot about myself and what it was like to feel productive,\u201d Matt said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a big change from previous climbing trips. Climbing is a wonderful sport, and something I love doing. But, it\u2019s also inherently selfish,\u201d Matt said. \u201cBeing there in 2015 and seeing the entire base camp destroyed was a really eye-opening experience. I want to use that experience to guide my goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Matt
Matt Moniz on the South Summit of Mount Everest. Photo courtesy of Matt Moniz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ambitious plans: mountaineering and serving his country<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Matt just turned 24 and already has climbed several of the world\u2019s tallest peaks. His mountaineering aspirations remain alive and audacious. He has a new passion for sailing and dreams of someday navigating remote oceans to reach otherwise inaccessible peaks, then traveling to icy shores, strapping on skis and climbing summits no other mountaineer yet has ascended. Those expeditions will take years to plan and execute.<\/p>\n

For now, Matt has taken to the skies, earning his pilot\u2019s license while finishing college during the pandemic and applying to fly in the Air National Guard<\/a>. His goal is to serve his country while continuing to explore the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandpa served in the Navy. I remember hearing stories of how he was stationed in Morocco and skied in the Atlas Mountains. He came from a poor immigrant family from Portugal and used his military service as a means to see the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt graduated in 2020 from Dartmouth College with dual degrees in global health and government. He\u2019s now living in Winter Park, Colorado, and is working for a firm that specializes in preventing biothreats like future pandemics.<\/p>\n