Beyond Your WHY The True Summit: Sean Swarner on Finding a Better Way When Life Says “No”
Meet Sean Swarner.
His WHY.os is Better Way - Make Sense - Contribute.
What happens when you beat death, accomplish the impossible, and still feel empty?
In this episode of Beyond Your WHY, Dr. Gary Sanchez sits down with Sean Swarner, one of the most resilient humans alive. Sean isn’t just known for climbing Mount Everest with one functioning lung or completing the Explorer’s Grand Slam. He’s known for what happened after the summit, when the celebration faded and a deeper question surfaced: What actually fulfills us?
Sean takes listeners back to high school, where cancer replaced typical teenage worries and survival became the only goal. He shares raw moments from being given last rites at 16, spending a year in a medically induced coma, and learning to live without a sense of future. That perspective shaped everything that followed, from his decision to climb Everest as a platform for hope to realizing that even world-class achievements can still be “false summits.”
This conversation goes far beyond endurance feats. Sean breaks down the difference between chasing goals that impress others and pursuing purpose that lasts. He introduces the idea of false summits versus true summits, why success doesn’t automatically equal fulfillment, and how many high achievers unknowingly climb the wrong mountains. Together, Gary and Sean explore identity, meaning, ego, and what it really takes to align goals, values, and heart.
If you’ve ever hit a milestone and thought “now what?”, felt driven but not satisfied, or wondered whether you’re climbing the right mountain, this episode will challenge how you define success and push you to rethink what you’re really striving for.
Contact Sean:
Website URL:
LinkedIn URL:
Linkedinlinkedin.com/in/seanswarner/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.