DHU Skeheen's Niamh taking on Kilimanjaro for a good cause
Skeheenarinky native, Niamh Curtin is preparing to take on Mount Kilimanjaro this March in aid of The Nasio Trust.
With the aim of summiting on International Women’s Day (March 8) alongside an all-female expedition team, Niamh will be joined by friend and Limerick local, Rachael Sleath on the climb.
“It’s really reassuring to have someone to do it with. I couldn’t imagine doing it myself. It’s more excitement than nerves and with the fundraising, it’s great to know it’s actually going to make a difference. That’s a motivating factor as well, it pushes you on,” Niamh said.
According to Niamh, she and Rachael had been wanting to take on a ‘big challenge’ this year and the two had set their sights on tackling Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Where I grew up as well, we would have always been outdoors but this is a big challenge and we go more into the idea as we decided to take this on. I have a couple of friends who have done it as well. It's not so much a technical climb, you don’t need specialist equipment. It’s just the altitude is a big factor in it,” Niamh told The Avondhu.
Deciding to make the climb in aid of a good cause, having researched different charities and organisations online, Niamh and Rachael settled on The Nasio Trust, a UK-registered charity and Kenyan NGO that supports orphaned and vulnerable children and empowers communities to break the cycle of poverty.
The Nasio Trust aims to provide a holistic solution to tackling the root causes of poverty through education, healthcare, psychosocial support, food security and income generation.
Once Niamh and Rachael have completed their climb, they will be travelling to Kenya to volunteer at The Nasio Trust’s early childhood development centres where they provide daily meals, pre-primary education and medical care to over 400 children.
“We were researching online because there are so many different companies and organisations that organise Kilimanjaro climbs and we set on The Nasio Trust after speaking with their director because it felt right to complete the challenge in Tanzania and then fundraise for a charity that supports communities in Kenya.
“In Kenya, we’ll be working in the early childhood centre I believe, we’ll be there three days helping around the centre and seeing the impacts that the fundraising is making. Their whole ethos is a grassroots charity that supports these local communities through education and healthcare,” Niamh said.
TRAINING CONTINUES
During the Christmas period, Niamh returned home to Skeheenarinky from her workplace in London where she continued her training by climbing the Galtee mountains.
Between now and March, Niamh and Rachael will be upping their miles and putting the work in as the goal of making it to the top of the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, standing at 5,895m, beckons.
Flying to Tanzania on February 29, it is expected that the hike will begin on March 2.
“It’s been really good to work towards a goal. It’s been a lot of cardiovascular exercises to get your lungs working and getting as many miles as possible clocked up in our boots and gear, so lots of running and general weights and gym,” Niamh said.
Fundraising is currently underway ahead of the challenge, with an online donations page set up at justgiving.com under the title ‘Niamh’s Kilimanjaro Climb for The Nasio Trust’.
More information can be found by visiting justgiving.com/team/rachaelandniamh