The Ascent’s Adaptive Athlete and World Record Holder Mandy Horvath to Attempt Historic Space Needle Stair Climb During 2026 Seattle International Film Festival

SEATTLE – Adaptive athlete and The Ascent subject Mandy Horvath will attempt to become the first amputee on record to crawl the 832-step interior stairwell of the Seattle Space Needle in a charitable climb supporting cancer research and awareness during the 52nd Seattle International Film Festival. The private climb is scheduled for the morning of May 8, weather permitting.

The climb coincides with The Ascent's screenings during the Festival, taking place on Saturday, May 9 at the PACCAR IMAX Theater at Pacific Science Center and Sunday, May 10 at SIFF Cinema Uptown. Directors Edward Drake and Scott Veltri, along with subject Mandy Horvath, are scheduled to attend both screenings.

Directed by Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, Francis Cronin, the documentary feature The Ascent follows Mandy Horvath, a bilateral amputee battling her past, as she embarks on a gripping journey to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in her quest to become the first legless woman to conquer it without prosthetics.

“Bringing The Ascent documentary to Seattle feels incredibly full circle for me. This film tells the story of how I learned to keep moving forward after everything changed, and this climb of the Space Needle is an extension of that,” said Horvath. “To be able to share both with this audience, while also raising awareness for causes that matter deeply to me, makes this moment feel bigger than just a screening or a climb. It feels like purpose coming to life.” 

The climb is dedicated to the memory of Sean Foley, former executive producer of Naked and Afraid, who passed away from brain cancer in late 2025. In his honor, fundraising efforts will support the American Brain Tumor Association and Fred Hutch Cancer Center, raising critical funds and awareness for cancer research.

Horvath will be accompanied by her support team during the climb up the Space Needle, including fellow Naked and Afraid cast member Tyler Dean Milligan, her fiancé and U.S. Army veteran Joshua Stigall, and her service dog in training, Patsy, will wait for her on the Observation Deck to greet her upon finishing the stair climb.