It’s not often that we hear stories in the news about great-grandparents raising money doing incredible physical challenges for charity, so this one is a bit special!
Terry Wilson, an 81 year old from Thetford in Norfolk, is hoping to raise an amazing £3,000 for cystic fibrosis by scaling Kilimanjaro and fundraising the impressive amount for charity.
Climbing the mountain is expected to take eight days, and will take Mr Wilson up to a staggering height of 5,895 metres. The ascent is a five day trek, and the descent is only three, but the physical challenge is still very impressive.
Mr Wilson, who has fourteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, has said that the sheer challenge and the opportunity to raise money for the cystic fibrosis charity, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, has managed to motivate him.
“I thought it would be a great way to raise money and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. I want to achieve as much as I possibly can and reach the top.” He said.
Joining Terry on his trip will be a close friend, almost half his age. Sharon Cadogan will be by Terry’s side for the entire challenge and is raising money herself for the Alzheimer’s Society.
Surprisingly, Mr Wilson is no stranger to physical challenges, having taken on the North Face challenge in San Francisco last year – an endurance test which involves participants tackling a huge variety of scenery and terrain with elevation gains and losses of several hundred feet.
He has been training for the climb by taking part in runs, and long walks as well as swimming.
Cystic Fibrosis Trust Fundraising Manager, Sam Carter, has said that Mr Wilson’s fundraising challenge was amazing, adding, “We are extremely grateful to him for his fundraising efforts in the Trust’s 50th anniversary year. Only half the people living with cystic fibrosis in the UK will reach the age of 40. Fundraising opportunities like this enable us to keep providing a wide range of services for people with cystic fibrosis.”
