A physiotherapist who hates the cold has conquered her fears by scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, where temperatures can drop to -18°C and -22°C at night.
Jane Smith, a Physiotherapist for Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust, made the mammoth trek to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.) Trust after being inspired by patients who suffered from the condition.
Jane, from Maghull, has organised a number of events over the past 12 months, raising £3,200 for the charity in the process.
But her recently completed Kilimanjaro trek has been the highlight of her fundraising efforts.
Jane said: “I have previously worked with patients with M.S. in my role as a Physiotherapist and am keen to support the valuable work carried out by the M.S. Trust.
“I struggle even in the mildest winters, so I was really worried about how I was going to cope with the cold once we were at altitude. But I packed plenty of layers, and I reached the summit of Uhuru Peak at 5,895m.
“The whole trek was physically and mentally challenging, particularly ‘summit night’ which is almost indescribable, it was so difficult.
“On the day that we summited we walked for a total of 15 hours, including six hours in the dark towards the summit. It was an incredible feeling when the sun rose behind us to spur us on to the summit but we could also see how far we still had to climb to reach the top.
“I was very lucky not to have any signs of altitude sickness and was able to complete the climb, but the altitude can cause other problems such as shortness of breath and led to me losing my appetite for a few days.
“However, I’m very please to have been able to raise money for the M.S. Trust in the process and really hope to reach my target of £3,600.”
The M.S. Trust is a charity which works with and for the 85,000 people in the UK with M.S. M.S. is a condition which causes damage to occur in the Central Nervous System and for which there is currently no cure. It is also the most common disabling condition among young adults.
To support Jane in her challenge you can visit her page at www.justgiving.com/Jane-Smith-kilimanjaro.
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