Updated July 7, 2026 at 10:59 AM CDT
If Art Ulene's 90th birthday goes as planned, he'll be celebrating on July 13 atop the world's highest freestanding mountain: Mount Kilimanjaro, elevation 19,341 feet.
The retired gynecologist and former NBC Today Show medical correspondent would break a record for the oldest person to summit Kilimanjaro. In 2019, Anne Lorimor finished the climb at 89 years and 37 days old, according to Guinness World Records.
While Ulene said breaking a world record would be a "bonus," it's more about his overall outlook on life.
"Most people worry about their lifespan," he said. "Smart people worry about their health span — that's how much of your life you're in good health. I want those to be equal. I want to be in perfect health until the day I die."
"It's not that hard"
Ulene said his friends and family have been supportive of his upcoming pursuit.
"They told me they want me to stop skiing, but they don't have any problem with me climbing Kilimanjaro," he said.
Part of the reason, Ulene said, is that he's already been to the top of Kilimanjaro. He's summited the mountain twice before, but turned back the last time he tried to make it up, in 2022.
"I wasn't feeling well at 17,000 feet. So, I turned around. I repressed my ego and went back down," he said with a laugh.
While many people see Kilimanjaro as a challenge, Ulene is pragmatic about the pursuit.
"It's really not that hard. It is a 35-mile uphill walk," he said. "And the way you do this is you put your left foot forward, and then you put your right foot in front of your left foot. And then you repeat that 55,000 times."
A training routine motivated by gelato
To prepare for his 12-day trek, Ulene's training routine included at least 50 flights of stairs, three days a week. He also implemented a walking routine with an unexpected motivator: gelato.
"I say to myself, if you just get out the door and walk to the nearby gelato place a mile and a half away, you could have a small gelato — and that gets me right out the door," he said.
If Ulene keeps walking and makes it to another gelato shop 4 miles from his home, he rewards himself even more.
"Some days I say, 'I'm not happy with a small gelato. I want the big cup, and I want two flavors,'" he said.
Not "buying the stereotype" about aging
Ulene said his secret to well-being and climbing mountains at such an advanced age has been about not leaving "too much potential on the table."
He said he doesn't "buy the stereotype" that aging makes a person become frail, decrepit and wrinkled. As a retired physician, Ulene admits some decline will happen — muscle fibers and strength will deteriorate to some degree. Genetics, socioeconomic status and diet all play a role in how healthy a person will be as they age.
"But in the vast majority of people, the decline can be mitigated with work," he said.
Ulene said the work has paid off. He said he's in better shape than he was at age 50, some 40 years ago.
"If you want to find out who you really are, then you need to stretch your limits, not to some ridiculous point, but you need to push yourself," Ulene said.
"This risks what some people would call failure. I do not call that failure. I call that a learning experience."
Copyright 2026 NPR
