10-Year-Old Mountain Climber Receives Threats to Call CPS
Setting world records isn’t the only challenge young Sam Evermore is facing. Now, after getting back from climbing the Matterhorn – the most iconic mountain in the world, which is also the Disney logo – Sam and his dad Joe, are having to fend off IG comments, demanding that CPS take Sam away from his family, for child endangerment.
The latest bout of IG hate the Evermores are dealing with comes in the form of comments from haters objecting to the short video of Sam high above the earth during one of his climbs. Instead of cheering on young Sam, the “safe space” culture apparatchiks are attacking Joe for having the gall to teach his son to lean into fear and accomplish great things.
In one comment, CPS was even tagged. Tahmeena320 writes:
“Why is a child on this ledge? Call child services asap!!!! This is so reckless. So careless. All for the IG @childprotectservices Charge the parents with child endangerment. This is nuts.”
The video of Sam, which runs about five seconds, shows him thousands of feet off the ground, on the shear mountain face of El Capitan, which he climbed when he was just 8 years old.
Joe says the IG comments are largely positive, but the growing trend is for the haters to feed off their own hate and target a young child for being courageous and being taught how to achieve great things.
“Our goal was to reach the summit of the Matterhorn recently,” says Joe, “but we made the decision to turn back when we were so close. The reason was – wait for it – safety. If this was about endangering a child, why would we turn back?”
Have a look at Sam’s Instagram page and see if he doesn’t look like the happy child of a loving family!
Sam Adventure Evermore #ElCapKid (@samueladventure) • Instagram photos and videos
Q&A
- Joe, what was your initial reaction when you first saw the IG comments suggesting that CPS should be called?
- How do you and Sam handle the negative attention and threats you receive online, especially when it targets your child’s safety?
- Can you elaborate on the safety measures you and Sam take before and during your climbs to ensure his well-being?
- What motivated you to start climbing with Sam at such a young age, and how do you balance his passion for climbing with safety concerns?
- How do you respond to the criticism that your climbing adventures could be considered reckless or dangerous for a child?
- Has the criticism and online harassment impacted your decision-making process or affected how you plan future climbs?
- What kind of support have you received from the climbing community or other parents in response to the online backlash?
- How do you address the concern that social media might be influencing public perception of your parenting choices?
- What is your perspective on the “safe space” culture and its impact on children pursuing challenging or adventurous activities?
- Can you share any specific examples of positive feedback you’ve received from your followers or the climbing community that have helped you through this situation? What do you teach your kids about fear?
- I understand you not only encourage your kids to set goals, but you also have RULES for every goal. Can you talk about that?
Watch some recent interview with Joe and Sam about their Matterhorn climb:
About Sam, Joe, and the Evermores…
Sam is a kid who loves to climb mountains with his dad. Each rock face they scale is one more chance to get to the top, look out over the world, holler, “Whoop!” and give out high fives. He’s been doing this since he was three years old.
But to dad, Joe, their tandem climbs each have a different purpose. Each mountain is intended to be another challenge that Sam will learn to overcome. Joe is banking each ascent, creating a stash of victories upon which Sam can make withdrawals throughout his life, so he can not only climb a few mountains, but move a few too.
To learn more, go to Sam Adventure!
Sam Adventure
Here is a link to a video showing Sam’s training regimen
https://youtu.be/FBK-R6Me8iU?si=QSSvDlp10rHB5mjR
MEDIA CONTACT: Todd Baumann at 512-966-0983 or Todd@specialguests.com
