Mick Ebeling and Erik Weihenmayer honored with Alltech Humanitarian Awards
[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – The Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) wrapped up today in Lexington, Kentucky, after a robust agenda of in-person and virtual activities and presentations. ONE welcomed nearly 2,000 international delegates in person, with an additional 5,000 participating virtually. Now in its 38th year, this world-class event brought inspiring keynote speakers and more than 100 industry leaders to the stage, sharing valuable insights in live workshops and focus tracks and uncovering the challenges and opportunities in agriculture, business, health and wellness, and professional development.
“We must unify and take action, today, for the future of agriculture and our planet,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Together, we have the collective courage and impact to work together for a Planet of Plenty™.”
Lyons was joined on the ONE Mainstage for the closing session by Mick Ebeling, founder and CEO of Not Impossible Labs, and world-class blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer.
Ebeling was recently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the Top 50 World’s Greatest Leaders. He is a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award and is listed as one of the world’s most influential creative people by The Creativity 50s. Ebeling has sparked a movement of pragmatic, inspirational innovation, and as a career producer and filmmaker, he harvests the power of technology and storytelling to change the world.
“What we do is, we start by telling the story of one person,” said Ebeling. “And then, telling the story of that one person, that’s what scales us to help many people.”
Despite losing his vision at age 14, Weihenmayer is an accomplished climber, paraglider, skier and kayaker who never allows blindness to interfere with his passion for pursuing an exhilarating and fulfilling life. In 2001, he became the first blind person in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In 2008, he completed his quest to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each continent. Additionally, he has ascended dozens of major peaks, rock walls and ice climbs around the planet, including the first blind ascent of the 3,000-foot Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park and the ascent of a rarely climbed 3,000-foot frozen waterfall in Nepal.
Opening plenary session during ONE19: The Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington, Kentucky.
“We could all stand on this stage and talk about our accomplishments, but what doesn’t get talked about enough are our struggles,” said Weihenmayer.
During the closing session, Lyons presented the Alltech Humanitarian Award, an award that is bestowed annually to someone of strong character who uses their platform to positively influence and inspire those around them, to both Ebeling and
Weihenmayer.
“We are pleased to present friends and first-time double Alltech Humanitarian Awards to Mick Ebeling and Erik Weihenmayer at the Alltech ONE Conference,” said Lyons.
Previous award winners have included Muhammad Ali, Steve Wozniak, Bear Grylls and late Alltech founder and Mark’s father, Dr. Pearse Lyons.
As Lyons closed, he noted a mantra often repeated by his father.
“‘Don’t get it right. Get it going,’ … And he was right! It’s not about perfectionism, it’s about progress. If we change the lens and the way we look at things, we can change the way we think.”
The Alltech ONE Conference returns May 21–23, 2023. For more information, visit one.alltech.com.
