logo
Millionaire banker, 43, dies after hiking up and down Wyoming peak SIX times in a row for 'Everesting' challenge

Millionaire banker, 43, dies after hiking up and down Wyoming peak SIX times in a row for 'Everesting' challenge

Daily Mail​4 days ago
A millionaire banker has died after he hiked a Wyoming mountain six times in quick succession as part of an advanced endurance event.
Slava Leykind, 43, died in an Idaho hospital on July 2, just a few days after participating in an 'Everesting' challenge at Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole.
The event is meant to simulate climbing Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world at 29,032 feet.
Leykind would have had to scale Snow King roughly 19 times to achieve the same vertical incline. With each successful climb, hikers were taken down to base camp by gondolas.
The challenge began at 6am on June 27 and Leykind was able to complete six laps up the Snow King Bootpack trail before falling ill, Jackson Hole News & Guide reported.
At 11:28pm, Jackson Hole Fire and EMS was called to the mountain for medical assistance and transport.
Leykind lost his life due to 'an electrolyte imbalance causing cardiac arrest,' said Teton County Coroner Brent Blue.
The father-of-three lived in Westport, Connecticut with his children and wife, Amy Keller Leykind. He spent nearly 20 years at the New York City-based investment bank CG Sawaya Partners.
He was born in 1982 in Belarus, while it was still under the Soviet Union's control. He emigrated to the United States in 1988.
He'd later get a degree in business administration from the University of Michigan before embarking on a long career in finance. Although he had a demanding job, his first priority was his family.
'Despite his significant professional success at a young age, Slava's role as a husband and father was his greatest achievement, passion and pride. He fervently supported his children, bringing love and a sense of calm to the wonderful chaos of a full house,' according to his obituary.
It is unclear what specific type of electrolyte imbalance Leykind developed during his hikes, but the most common form experienced by athletes undergoing extreme exertion is called hyponatremia.
The condition stems from low sodium levels in a person's blood. It can be caused by number of different things, including certain medications, medical conditions and hormonal imbalances.
It can also be brought on by drinking too much water during or after extreme exercise.
At endurance events like the one Leykind participated in, medical teams trained on the signs and symptoms of hyponatremia are always on site.
Symptoms include lightheadedness, nausea, headache, vomiting and an altered mental state, including confusion and seizures.
These symptoms sometimes mimic dehydration, but certain tests can differentiate the two issues.
It is not clear what treatment Leykind received, but if treated incorrectly, hyponatremia can be deadly.
Dr. Andy Pasternak, medical director of Western States Endurance Run in California, said there is really only one treatment that should be used for athletes experiencing hyponatremia.
'If someone's truly symptomatic and hyponatremic, the only IV fluids that you want to give them is what we call hypertonic, or 3 percent saline,' he told News & Guide. 'Anything else, in my mind, is not appropriate treatment.'
At Leykind's funeral on July 8, his family, colleagues, neighbors and friends all gathered to remember him.
His wife, Amy, told stories about how devoted he was to their three kids, while his brother-in-law Alan Isenberg remembered his 'playful energy.'
Leykind's close friend Robbie Salter eulogized him and talked about how he cherished the time he got to spend with him.
'In thinking about this moment, the only comfort I can offer, and the central theme I come back to is this: appreciation for the quality, not the quantity, of time we shared with Slava,' Salter said.
'Because when someone like Slava leaves us far too early — and let's be clear, this is unfair — you begin to understand that relationships aren't measured in years but in depth.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Canadian wildfires prompt New York air quality alert
Canadian wildfires prompt New York air quality alert

BBC News

time2 hours ago

  • BBC News

Canadian wildfires prompt New York air quality alert

An air quality health advisory has been issued for New York City and its surrounding areas because of smoke from wildfires in Canada. In a post on X, New York state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Department of Health (DOH) issued the advisory for Long Island, New York City Metro, Lower Hudson Valley, Upper Hudson Valley, and the Adirondacks on Saturday. Authorities are warning air quality in those regions is "unhealthy for sensitive groups".Wildfires in Canada have forced tens of thousands of people to leave their homes, and the smoke drifting over the border has sparked air quality concerns across the northern United States. The air quality index (AQI) is predicted to be above 100 in much of New York state on Saturday, and could reach 135. Alerts are also in place for parts of New AQI measures the severity of pollution in the air and categorises health risks. The higher the number, the more unsafe the air is to breathe. This is not the first time US authorities have issued air quality alerts because of smoke from the Canadian mid-July, a similar alert was issued for Chicago, with additional precautions advised for babies and the political implications of the wildfire smoke have also reached in July, six members of Congress wrote to the Canadian ambassador complaining that smoke from wildfires was making it difficult for Americans to enjoy their are currently more than 550 active fires in Canada, with the most concentrated in the province of Manitoba, according to authorities. 6.1 million hectares (15 million acres) of land has been burnt across the country in the past and June were particularly destructive months in western Canada, with roughly 30,000 people forced to evacuate in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where local administrations declared a state of have consistently linked the intensifying wildfire seasons to climate is believed to be warming at twice the global average rate, and its Arctic regions are heating up at nearly three times the global rate, scientists have warned.

RFK Jr. looks to boot panel that decided which HIV and cancer screenings would be free: report
RFK Jr. looks to boot panel that decided which HIV and cancer screenings would be free: report

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

RFK Jr. looks to boot panel that decided which HIV and cancer screenings would be free: report

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly planning to remove all the members of an influential health task force that helps determine what preventative care services insurers must cover for free, after removing all members of a vaccine advisory board last month. Kennedy wants to clean house at U.S. Preventative Services Task Force next because he believes its 16 members have become too 'woke,' The Wall Street Journal reports. Under 2010's Affordable Care Act, the task force makes evidence-based, public recommendations on a variety of treatments, ranging HIV prevention to prenatal care to mental health, that insurers must cover at no cost to patients. Health and Human Services has said the secretary hasn't made a final decision regarding the task force. The Independent has contacted the agency for comment. Kennedy's reported dissatisfaction with the group comes after the American Conservative magazine accused the task force of being a 'festering corner of woke bureaucracy' in an article earlier this month. 'The task force is packed with Biden administration appointees devoted to the ideological capture of medicine,' the author argued, pointing to 'sinister' recent task force actions committing to removing racial inequities in health care and using more inclusive language around gender. Earlier this month, a July meeting of the task force was postponed. At the time, a letter from over 100 health organizations warned about the politicization of the task force's work. 'The loss of trustworthiness in the rigorous and nonpartisan work of the Task Force would devastate patients, hospital systems, and payers as misinformation creates barriers to accessing lifesaving and cost effective care,' the letter reads. 'When something works well and helps inform doctors about how to take care of their patients, to postpone the task force's work just doesn't make any sense,' Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association, told The New York Times after the meeting was postponed. 'This flies in the face of what is good for the country's health.' In June, the Supreme Court upheld the task force's ability to recommend free coverage for preventative services, in the face of a challenge from individuals and businesses objecting to the body's recommendation regarding HIV prevention medication. Concern over the fate of the task force comes after Kennedy removed all the members of a vaccine advisory board, replacing them with some members who share the secretary's vaccine skepticism.

Ben Askren reveals devastating impact of double lung transplant in heartbreaking new health update
Ben Askren reveals devastating impact of double lung transplant in heartbreaking new health update

Daily Mail​

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Ben Askren reveals devastating impact of double lung transplant in heartbreaking new health update

Ben Askren has revealed the incredible toll his health episode has taken on him in a new social media post on Saturday. UFC cult hero Askren, regarded as one of the world's top lightweight fighters during the peak of his career, has been the subject of widespread concern among the MMA community after being hospitalised with pneumonia. Askren, 41, required a double lung transplant to save his life and returned home from hospital this week. He has been told by doctors that he s fully capable of living a lengthy, healthy life. But for now, the American former wrestler has a long journey to a full recovery, revealing on Instagram that he struggles to lift a five-pound dumbbell, such is his lack of strength post health crisis. 'I've been home for four days now,' he began. 'It's awesome. I get to sleep in my own bed, eat my own food, hang out with my family, it's great. 'That being said, I've still got so many physical challenges to deal with. I'm still down abot 35 pounds from where I should be. I can't walk. This five-pound weight, it's actually hard for me to curl. 'Right before I had to go to the hospital I was feeling strong, I was able to curl 45 pounds. I was out doing hill sprints.' However, Askren, who struggled to speak at certain points of video and had to catch his breath, is determined to improve his condition. 'I am where I am now,' he said. 'But I know I'll be somewhere different in a month.' Askren previously revealed that he had died four times before his life-saving transplant. 'So, I only died four times. The ticker stopped for about 20 seconds,' he said. 'But, I got the double lung transplant and made it out to the other side of it. I was actually 147lbs. I haven't been 147lbs since 15-years-old. 'The thing that was most impactful to me was the love I felt from everybody. It was almost like I got to have my own funeral. 'The outpouring of love from the wrestling community was just amazing. It felt so good. So I'm more motivated than ever to get back and do what I can to help out. 'I love you guys and I appreciate you guys. This has been tough. Not only on me but on my whole family and community. 'I hope you guys appreciate the update and sometime down the road maybe Amy and I can detail everything a little more'. More to follow. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ben Askren (@benaskren)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store