The Tough 'Kral' up Mount Rainier in Washington State

It doesn't take reaching the top of a mountain for , of Avon, to shine with optimism.

The Special Olympian summited Mount Washington and . Last week, he was on to his next challenge, Mount Rainier in Washington state.

Kral, 32, and his climbing team – which included locals FAVARH Executive Director Steve Morris, Canton resident and author Walt Hampton, and Hampton's wife, Anne – made it pretty far. They stopped 1,000 feet from the top for safety purposes.

"I'm a little disappointed I didn't make it all the way," Kral said. "It was harder than I thought and I had to push myself really hard to get to 13,000 ft. I hope this still inspires people to push beyond their own limits."

But reaching 13,000 feet is no small feat and Kral had a lot of adventures along the way.

You can read more about Kral's summit attempt in Walt Hamptons online account of the experience by following the link provided. Hampton also wrote about the trip on his blog.