TEGA CAY, S.C. — For many veterans, it can be tough to navigate life after the military.
Last year, Channel 9 talked to a veteran from Tega Cay who became a world record holder after climbing Denali. Now, one year later, he’s started a small business with his wife.
Inside of Avalanche Coffee Company, Benjamin Breckheimer and his wife Mallory are brewing a new adventure.
“Now we’re really busy, way busier than we were before,” they said.
Last Memorial Day, Benjamin set off to become a world record holder as the first Purple Heart veteran to reach all seven summits of the world -- the tallest peaks on each of the seven continents.
It’s an amazing feat, considering he had to learn how to walk again after an IED in Afghanistan shattered his leg.
Now, after achieving the world record, he’s retiring from mountaineering and has built a mobile coffee business with Mallory.
“It’s been an awesome experience,” he said. “I think my big mountaineering expeditions are over, my body has said ‘this is enough.’”
The business honors his climbs around the globe. Each of their seven taps feature cold brews, nitro coffee and kombucha named for each mountain.
“The big mountains may be over, but we still have it incorporated,” Mallory said. “Now, we are moving onto the next big chapter.”
That chapter began when they launched their mobile coffee company in January, adding the ability to serve beer on tap for wedding parties or special events. Now, the Tega Cay couple is already looking for a permanent shop.
The company name carries a special meaning. Benjamin survived an avalanche on Mount Everest in 2015.
“Having gone through that, it’s a good reminder of how lucky I am to be here. So it’s in honor of that,” Benjamin said.
His climbs were also a way to honor his fallen brothers and sisters. He shared how he almost took his own life after being discharged from the military. As he finds new passion and purpose, this Memorial Day, he wants to inspire other vets to find new meaning in life after service.
“You know when you get out service, out of the military, you just kind of feel lost. You don’t know exactly know what you want to do. You feel like you lost your purpose and in all honesty, try to get yourself uncomfortable and try something different,” he said. “That’s really what mountaineering was for me, something different, and now, being a business owner is completely different.”
And as the Breckheimers grow their new business together, they’re also gearing up for their greatest adventure yet.
“Since then, it’s been an adventure,” Mallory said. “Not just the business -- a new family member is coming!”
Breckheimer travels to give motivational speeches about his experience and is currently working on a book about it.
Channel 9 is part of Cox Media Group Television (CMG). CMG is joining forces with Veteran Jobs Mission in an effort to help 2 million servicemembers and their families find and keep employment. To learn more, click here.
(WATCH BELOW: Memorial Day 2022: Carolinas honor veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice)
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