Steve Furman, a mountaineer with multiple Himalayan first ascents, was diagnosed with incurable cancer. In his limited remaining time, he chose to attempt the summit of an unclimbed 6000 meter peak in remote western Nepal. His tenacity, vision and powerful expedition metaphor compel us to value our precious time by living with purpose and inspiration.
His story, and the broader platform it creates to tell the stories of others who gaze on the end of their lives as a catalyst to live bigger now, caught the eye of Dirk Collins (One Eyed Bird, Teton Gravity Research founder) and Nick Quested (Gold Crest Films, Producer of Restrepo; Hell on Earth). Gioia Bartalo, Captain and Social Media Manager of the Denver Broncos Cheerleading Team led the film’s crowdfunding-campaign efforts.
Steve’s passion to share what we can do when we start living like it’s our last chance inspired this award-winning team to take his story and turn it into documentary, the first in a series about people who live powerfully with the time they have left. We hope to inspire people to focus on what matters, and break through convention as a limiting factor to achieving big things – to use time for all its worth, starting now.
These are stories about breaking through limitations, letting go of conventions, igniting us to live our best lives with the precious time we have. They are sparks shot from the fire of those who have confronted their own mortality, to those of us who may be coasting like our time is promised. They call us to question, get unstuck, live boldly with both feet in or out.
The film and expedition crew went to Nepal on September 26th, 2017. They filmed for nearly seven weeks. The entire team donated their time, talent and energy to make this happen.
Filming of the Perseverance expedition concluded successfully in November. The team returned with an inspiring story and beautiful footage of Steve’s journey through remote western Nepal. 280 miles and 34 days of physical and mental challenge, set the stage for Steve’s final experience in this staggering Nepali landscape. This story captures the principals of Perseverance, distilled into a visual message that enables those who have not yet had their time limited to start living with the same purpose and power as those who have.
Returning from Nepal, the film completed production in 2020. In 2018, to teach the principals learned during this journey and to support the film, the expedition team launched a national program called Spark Purpose. Incorporating expedition footage and film elements from Peak 6198, The Spark Purpose Project takes a multi-dimensional approach to inspire people to move past fear and powerfully into the opportunities, relationships, and works that matter most in their lives.
We are always seeking partners that share this vision, to live powerfully, break through limitations and think critically about how we live our lives in the time we are given. Partnerships work on a range of opportunities, from financial or in-kind resources, promotion & distribution, followership and influencer network expansion, co-development of innovative programs and tools… and much more. If you’re that partner, ready to make a difference, we’d love to connect.