A veteran Sherpa is preparing to scale Mount Everest for the 20th time, all in the name of a better education for his four children.

“Apa Sherpa, who holds the record for the number of successful climbs to the summit of Mount Everest, has often said that he makes the death-defying ascent so that his children won’t ever have to.” writes David Knowles of AOL. “Now, as he prepares to attempt to reach Everest’s peak for the 20th time, the 49-year-old is grateful for the opportunities that climbing has given him.”

Apa Sherpa has made many friends who have helped him advance his dream of educating his children in the United States. American Brian Day O’Connor, the son of now-retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, was on one of his expiditions. They became friends and O’Connor agreed to pay for the first year of college for one of his children.

Read about the others who have helped him persue his noble cause.