After 10 days, 17,000 feet and 70 miles spent climbing Mt. Everest, the Oregon teenager became the first person with Down syndrome to conquer the world's tallest mountain.
Alongside his father Justin, Eli made history when he reached the Nepal base camp of the mountain.
"It was humbling, it was inspiring, just an amazing moment," Justin told HLN in an interview Sunday.
Recalling the trek, Justin says it was Eli, 15, who lead the group to the top.
"He was actually leading us on the trail and we were the ones feeling our own sense of disability," he said. "It was no big deal to him, the rest of us were sucking wind."
As for what Eli and Justin hope to accomplish by conquering the world's tallest mountain, Justin says it's about understanding.
"I think the number one thing is for anybody who has a child with a disability or who is impacted by disability in some way to really understand that it's not outside of the scope of really God's goodness," Justin explained. "Eli's life and the lives of those with disability have infinite worth and they can do great things."
Watch the interview with Eli and Justin on HLN below:
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