18 Under 18: Jordan Romero

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18 Under 18: Jordan Romero

Romero, then age 15, became the youngest person ever to reach the top of each continent's tallest mountain, known as the Seven Summits.Tags: ESPNHS, 18 Under 18, Jordan Romero, Vinson Massif, Mount Everest, Seven Summits

18 Under 18: Jordan Romero

ESPNHS honors 18 male teen athletes who are doing remarkable things on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. Click here to read about them.

Who's the toughest high school athlete in the country? Maybe you're thinking of a football or lacrosse player. We'll take Jordan Romero. In December, the 15-year-old California native became the youngest person to reach the summit of the highest mountains on all seven continents.

He finished his journey by ascending to the top of Antarctica's Vinson Massif (16,067 feet) on Christmas Eve 2011. Five years earlier, Romero began his dream by reaching the top of Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro in July 2006. From there, he climbed Europe's Elbrus (July 2007) and South America's Acancagua (December 2007). In June 2008, the Big Bear Lake, Calif., native stayed relatively close to home and reached the peak of Alaska's Denali. Romero followed that up by climbing Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania I September 2009. Then, in May 2010, he summitted the world's largest mountain, Everest.

Romero celebrated his remarkable achievement with a New York City media tour that included stops on NBC, CNN and Fox News. So while he might not have the name recognition of the nation's top football or basketball players, Romero has done someone no one else his age has.

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