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REGION: Stephanie Gilchrist’s reward for reaching the summit of Africa’s highest mountain was to take in a beautiful sunrise 5895 metres above sea level
"I've never done anything like that in my life." Stephanie Gilchrist
Stephanie Gilchrist’s reward for reaching the summit of Africa’s highest mountain was to take in a beautiful sunrise.
It took a year of training, but the Palmerston North woman conquered Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, hiking to 5895 metres above sea level.
Gilchrist said she put one foot in front of the other for a worthy cause.
She was one of 26 people to go on the trip and raise $115,000 for the Mental Health Foundation.
The charity is close to Gilchrist’s heart after struggling with her own mental health since the age of 15.
Getting into running about five years ago was a positive gamechanger for her. Gilchrist said she wanted to do something that motivated people with similar issues to keep walking in the right direction.
The team left on September 13 and hiked to the summit of the world’s fourth-highest mountain in five days.
Gilchrist said the group of 26 left at 10pm and walked all night. They eventually reached the snowcovered peak just before dawn to watch the sunrise.
There was a huge sense of achievement in reaching the top, she said.
‘‘I’ve never done anything like that in my life.’’
She hoped to encourage others to overcome their challenges and inspire them to see that ‘‘nothing is impossible’’.
Despite having to cope with altitude challenges, all 26 people in her group reached the peak.
It took another two days to climb down the mountain, before returning to New Zealand.
Gilchrist raised $4500 for the Mental Health Foundation on her own, surpassing her aim by $500.
Gilchrist walked on a treadmill for 24 hours straight in February, walking 146 kilometres, as part of her fundraising efforts.