Chaeli Mycroft is on the wheelchair with her team of climbers behind her || Source: Chaeli Mycroft
Mount Kilimanjaro. You’ve heard of it. It’s the highest mountain in Africa.
It is also the mountain this female quadriplegic, Chaeli Mycroft, is attempting to climb.
Cape Town-based Chaeli Mycroft is attempting to climb to the peak of mount Kilimanjaro as part of her drive to raise funds for Chaeli Campaign, her non-profit that oversees three substrates; Inclusive Education Programme, The Chaeli Cottage Inclusive Preschool and Enrichment Centre. All that programmes are aimed at “inclusion and growing awareness of the ability of people with disabilities.”
The 20-year old will begin the 7 day climb – five days up and two days down – on the 29th, a day before her 21st birthday, according to an emailed press release to TechCabal.
If you are not quadriplegic and still wait for hours on the ground floor for the elevator, rather than use the stairs to access your office on the 20th floor, shame on you.
But this is not a light leisurely climb. “This is a serious undertaking – both for me but also for my fellow climbers – and it is brilliant that we will have people all over the world willing us on like this,” Mycroft said of the 19,000 feet climb.
Her team of climbers – Chaeli Kili Climbers – have been practicing for months, according to a CNN feature.
Interested members of the public can follow Mycroft’s climb on the Dreamwork for Teamwork website that features an immersive experience which:
- Shows real-time location of the team
- Allows users subscribe to daily email updates on Mycroft’s climb
- Allows users take a video fly-through of the route
- Allows users make donations to the Chaeli Campaign
- And also do a bunch of other cool stuff, like check pictures and watch videos of the climb
The website was designed by Discover Africa, a safari tour operator. It already has 2,000 page views from 56 countries and interest is expected to grow as Mycroft embarks on her climb. Hop over to the website and see how you can help. Help make history happen.
If Chaeli succeeds, she will become the first quadriplegic to climb a mountain higher than 10,000 feet.
Image via: Chaeli Mycroft
