Reaching New Heights for Charity
41 people supported the climb raising a total of $2,495!
Earlier this year my mum and I successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro. The summit on Mount Kilimanjaro is called Uhuru Peak and stands at 5,895m and to put this in perspective, Mount Everest reaches 8,848m – just over 2,950m higher.
This was the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life but the experience will be something I treasure forever. The wonderful scenery, the friendly people that led us along the way, the beautiful wildlife, some of which you only see in the Kilimanjaro region, the challenges we encountered, climbing walls and walking at such high elevation.
When I look back at the first glimpse of the mountain afar, the pictures of the days progressing, I still can’t believe I did it – with my mum! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s willing to take on the challenge of attempting to climb the highest freestanding mountain in the world. One word of advice is “pole, pole”, meaning slowly, slowly so your body can deal with the altitude.
It has taught me to have confidence in myself, resilience and that anything is possible if you work hard and have a positive attitude. Being able to raise funds for Loreto Vietnam and to give girls my age an opportunity for an education provided me with further inspiration to complete the climb.
Now it’s time to plan the next challenge!
Words: Year 7 Loreto Kirribilli Student, Eliane Champ
