“I did it for Delco,” says Roddie Cooper, posing for a picture at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro holding a Delco sign.

The Ridley High School graduate is a stilt walker, “Star Wars” stormtrooper, and tattoo artist who decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania last year to fly the Delaware County sign at the top of the world, writes Stephanie Farr for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

His eight-day climb of the highest peak in Africa ended with him at the summit in negative 20-degree weather, frostbitten and sunburned, hoisting the flag.  His friend Marty Miller took the photo.

“I didn’t do it for any likes or for any notoriety — I did it for Delco,” Cooper, 41, said. “I wanted people to know that Delaware County was here.”

The picture has since gone viral and even been turned into memes.

Cooper is a long-time owner (since 2008) of Olde Media Tattoo.

He was born and raised in Ridley Park, the first generation of his family born in Delco. He now lives in Ridley.

The frigid temperatures and altitude sickness made it a difficult journey.

But his thoughts turned to the Delco flag he was carrying when he thought about quitting.

“That kept me going, that gave me the final push,” Cooper said. “Delco was telling me I have to.”

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about Roddie Cooper.

Erik Conover climbs Mount Kilimanjaro in this Tanzania video travel series.