The Authors

Kevin Flynn is one-third owner and partner in the marketing communications firm Martino Flynn, LLC, one of the fastest-growing firms in Western, NY. Aside from Kevin’s duties as partner, he also develops creative strategy, services accounts, and supervises the media, account services and new business functions of the agency.

Kevin has great passion for hiking and mountaineering. He is a two-time Adirondack 46er (someone who has climbed the 46 peaks that are 4,000 feet or higher) and has climbed and hiked throughout the Northeast.

Kevin expects to climb the "Seven Summits"—the highest peak on each continent. To date, he has climbed Mt. Everest (Asia), Mt. McKinley (North America), Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa), Aconcagua (South America) and Elbrus (Europe). He has Antarctica and Australia left and expects to complete them by 2006.

He has produced two videos on McKinley and Kilimanjaro that have been sold throughout the world. He has also shot video footage on Aconcagua, Elbrus, and Everest and expects to complete more videos in the near future. Kevin has given presentations to dozens of groups about his mountaineering adventures.

Kevin is an instrument-rated, single-engine private pilot. He flies to meet with clients and prospective clients throughout the Northeast. In addition, Kevin volunteers as an Angel Pilot—someone who flies non-critically ill patients and family members to various destinations for medical treatment or visitation.

He also enjoys golf and skiing.

Kevin is on the Board of Directors for the Center for Environmental Information (CEI) and has served in that capacity since 1999.

Married to first wife Maggie since 1990.

 

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In 1996, after two decades as an award-winning traditional sportswriter, Gary Fallesen became the outdoor writer at the daily Democrat and Chronicle newspaper in his hometown of Rochester, N.Y. One of the first people he contacted was his friend Kevin Flynn, about whom he’d written several stories.

Fallesen had listened to his tales about climbing Denali and Aconcagua and asked him "Why?" He didn’t understand why Flynn climbed. Gary wanted to go climbing with Kevin in New York’s Adirondack mountains and find out for himself what mountaineering was all about. Kevin agreed, but then his plans changed: he was going to climb Mount Rainier instead.

Gary didn’t know any better. He had no idea Rainier was 9,000 feet higher than the highest Adirondack peak. Gary went to Rainier with Kevin, Gary Smith and Garry Haltoff, all experienced climbers. Despite suffering altitude sickness, Fallesen fell in love with climbing. Two years later, Kevin and Gary climbed Kilimanjaro. In 2001, Gary attempted Aconcagua with Kevin in Argentina. Fallesen has since become the founding president of Climbing For Christ, Inc., an international non-profit ministry (www.ClimbingForChrist.org).

Climbing has become an integral part of Gary’s life. He counts Kevin as one of his closest climbing partners and has enjoyed the trips together and those journeys that they have shared from afar.

Flynn taught Fallesen about FWA (Full Wife Approval) for which his wife, Elaine, is also grateful. She and their two children, Jesse and Hayley, have been a blessing as Gary’s support team. They all enjoy hiking and climbing together. This project with Kevin is Gary’s second book. Fallesen was honored that Flynn asked him to contribute to this project.