On July 31st 2023 I, along with a resolute bunch of fellow fools, will embark on the daunting task of conquering Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa and one of the “7 Summits of the world”. At 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) it dwarfs anything I have attempted before and is going to be the challenge of my life. Those who are unlucky enough to know me will realise what a huge achievement this will be for me (if I make it!) as I’m not exactly in peak physical condition but have been working hard over the past 12 months sacrificing weekends and family time to get those all important miles in my legs and get battle ready. The stories I have heard and the videos I’ve been watching of the climb (especially of the final midnight summit push) are very intimidating and exciting in equal measure and I’ll need to dig very deep both mentally and physically to reach the summit. It’s time to find out what I’m made of.

The route we have chosen to take on is the Machame route which takes 5 days to reach the top and then just 1 day to get back down again. Do they just strap a parachute to your back and kick you off…? The route takes in some of the worlds most incredible scenery and passes through 5 different climate zones from lush forests and jungles at the base of the mountain to grasslands, alpine desert and the fearsome arctic zone for the final midnight climb.

Yes, the main driver here is personal achievement, but it would be remiss of me not to take up this opportunity to raise money for an incredible charity. Therefore I am dedicating this challenge to support The British Heart Foundation who fund around £100 million of research each year into all heart and circulatory diseases and the things that cause them. Heart diseases, stroke, vascular dementia, diabetes; they're all connected and we all know people who have been affected by any one of these and I’ll be very lucky if I or a loved one don’t need to turn to them ourselves sometime in the future.

Any donation however big or small will make a huge difference and together we can make a lasting impact and contribute to giving hope to those that need it.

Wish me luck