Bethel Park Family Sets Sights on All
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BY JENNIFER BROZAK
Asia Buckley , right , with her father , John , and brother , Brian , have been traveling the world , setting their sights on all seven continents .
Asia Buckley ’ s passion for travel began when she was just 4 years old . At the time , her parents were planning a trip to China , and Asia begged them to let her go with them .
It ’ s safe to say that in the years since , Asia , a 2012 graduate of Bethel Park High School , has more than made up for her absence on that trip . Now 22 , she ’ s traveled to five continents , including throughout North America , with plans to visit Australia within the next few years . Along with her family , her plan is to eventually visit all seven continents .
Buckley , who ’ s studying public relations and advertising and digital media arts at Duquesne University , has traveled with her father John , 66 , and brother Brian , 32 , to China , Antarctica and South America , but it was her trip to Nepal to climb Mount Everest that enticed her the most .
“ In the summer of 2008 , my dad and brother were traveling to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro , but I wasn ’ t invited to go , because I was starting my freshman year of high school ,” she explains . Because she was so young , her father was worried that she wouldn ’ t have the stamina to keep up on such an intense hike .
To make up for Buckley missing that trip , her father suggested that the two of them hike the Grand Canyon . After they climbed the Grand Canyon “ rim to rim ,” John Buckley realized that his young daughter did indeed have the endurance to join them on a major hike .
The retired health and physical education teacher added , “ During that trip to the Grand Canyon , I quickly realized that she had become the leader and I became the follower . I couldn ’ t keep up with her .”
When the two of them returned from the Grand Canyon trip , John began to put together a trip to Mount Everest . Asia was intent on joining the excursion .
“ The Grand Canyon was great , but I wanted to go bigger ,” she says . “ I wanted to climb Everest .”
Because hiking Mount Everest is not only dangerous , but also costly — a trek up the mountain with a professional sherpa can cost anywhere from $ 65,000 to $ 100,000 — the Buckleys decided to instead travel to Everest Base Camp in Nepal , where they spent three weeks trekking routes .
At the time , Buckley was just about to start her first semester at Duquesne , but quickly decided to defer entrance so she could travel .
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Bethel Park | Winter 2016 | icmags . com 23