Julie McKelvey, 55, of Harrisburg, second from left, celebrates her completion of the Seven Summits atop Mount Kosciuszko in Australia. She was joined by her husband, Bobby McKelvey, at left, and sons Jacob and Jackson. Submitted Photo

Julie McKelvey was evacuated off Mount Everest with severe injuries — but returned to complete that summit.

She suffered an ankle injury on another summit, but finished that one as well.

“Nothing was going to stop her,” said Marleen Hoffmann, manager of the Miracle-Ear franchise in Butler. “When Julie sets her mind to something, she does it.

Julie McKelvey celebrates her completion of the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. Her final summit was Mount Kosciuszko in Australia. Submitted Photo

“She is an amazing human being.”

Hoffmann would know. She’s been working for McKelvey, who lives in Harrisburg and owns the 34 Miracle-Ear franchises throughout Pennsylvania — for 23 years.

McKelvey, 55, of Harrisburg recently completed the climb to the top of Mount Kosciuszko in Australia. Her husband, Bobby, and sons Jacob and Jackson accompanied her on the six-hour journey — three hours up and back — over the holidays.

The McKelvey family embraces after Julie’s completion of the Seven Summits. Submitted Photo

“The winds were pretty fierce up there,” she said of her final summit. “It was blowing 55 miles an hour ... We brought a banner with us and had to work hard to get it up, but we did it.”

That summit put McKelvey in the history books as one of fewer than 100 women in the world to complete the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents.

While doing so, she raised more than $250,000 through a fundraising campaign known as Summit For Sound. That program, in conjunction with the Miracle-Ear Foundation, has enabled thousands of people in Pennsylvania to receive free hearing aids and a lifetime of free service.

Over a five-year period, she reached the peak of Mount Everest in Nepal, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Russia, Aconcagua in Argentina, Vinson in Antarctica, Denali in Alaska and the final one, Kosciuszko in Australia.

Julie McKelvey smiles from atop the peak of Mount Kosciuszko in Australia. Submitted Photo

“The fact she did this within five years, in her 50s, is unbelievable,” Hoffmann said. “Julie demonstrated what a person can do when putting your mind to it.”

“The last one was the easiest, 10 miles or so,” McKelvey said.” When I first decided to do this, I wasn’t intending for this to be the last one.

“I’m so happy it was, though, because my family could do it with me. Having them at the top of that final summit with me meant the world to me.”

McKelvey only started climbing mountains at age 48, when she did Mount Fuji in Japan with her father and son. She climbed Mount Kilimanjaro two years later.

“I learned about the Seven Summits and decided to go for it,” McKelvey said. “It was a natural to fundraise for the Miracle-Ear Foundation while doing it.

“The money that’s been raised, the number of people it’s helped, has far exceeded my expectations.”

Hoffmann said McKelvey’s efforts have benefited Butler residents as well.

“We’ve had a number of people here who received hearing aids through Julie’s efforts, who otherwise would not have gotten the help they needed,” Hoffmann said.

“Despite the setbacks she experienced, there was no way she was giving up. She knew what was at stake.”

McKelvey admitted she was never “100% confident” she would eventually complete the Seven Summits.

“You can’t control the weather, COVID, injuries, any of those things,” she said. “All I could do was prepare myself the best I could. I did a lot of research beforehand, learned some of the elements I might be up against, nutrition, how to best prepare my body.

“I probably put in 5,000 hours of training to get my body ready, not to mention all of the travel, running a business and spending time with family. It was all worth it. I feel grateful, truly blessed.

“No matter what one’s situation is, there’s always time to make something happen in life if you want it badly enough,” McKelvey added.

She is most proud of the numerous lives she’s been able to enhance through her foundation’s efforts.

“Not being able to hear affects the quality of that person’s life, along with the lives of family members,” McKelvey said.

After a whirlwind five years, McKelvey plans to relax, spend more time with family and “just kick back for a bit.”

But her thirst for adventure has not been quenched yet.

“Oh, I’ll be doing something else,” she smirked. “I’m mulling over a few things ... just not sure what yet.”

“I hadn’t heard that,” Hoffmann said of a possible upcoming adventure. “But I’m not surprised, not surprised at all.”