Doctor aims Everest climb without leaving Waimate
Waimate doctor Steve Fish is facing his own Everest challenge effort next month to help a charity close to his heart.
Fish will however not be leaving town instead undertaking an activity called ‘Everesting’, which cyclists ascend and descend a given hill multiple times, in order to have cumulatively climb 8848 metres, the elevation of the world’s high peak.
Everesting is growing in popularity worldwide but Fish will be the first to attempt the ride in South Canterbury.
He will ride up and down Point Bush Rd, on the outskirts of Waimate, 106 times.
‘‘I’ve seen tragedy as a GP in Waimate for the last eight years and at times struggle with the logistics of getting kids to Christchurch for specialist treatment.
‘‘Ronald McDonald House is a marvellous facility. It is something a family would never wish to use but be very glad to have if the need arises.’’
The catalyst to get him going was on the Everest challenge was the Nepalese family’s tragedy. Nepalese couple Tej and Tika Kafle, and their 8-year-old brother, Prem, died in a fire above their Queen St restaurant in August, 2015.
‘‘Everesting seemed a fitting way to do something to help.’’
Fish said Point Bush Road had a vertical ascent of 84 metres so he would have to ride up it 106 times. ‘‘I estimate it is about 320km.’’
He intends to start at 9pm on Saturday March 11 and finish around 6pm the following day.
‘‘On Everest after climbing 7,500m they enter the death zone, it might feel a bit the same for me.’’
Fish said got a refuelling strategy to keep him going and a couple of friends had offered to ride with him during the day. He was hoping the weather would be kind as the full moon would allow some illumination during the night.
‘‘To succeed you have to do it in one ride, so I will sleep the day before.’’
Fish had done plenty of preparation for the challenge, including riding from Waimate to Lake Tekapo and back via the Hunter Hills. ‘‘I was hoping to do 320km but it was only 304.’’
The doctor said he was initially hoping to raise around $1500 for Ronald McDonald House, but some people having already donated his revised target was $2500.
England born, Fish said he started riding as a kid in Essex. ‘‘I was smitten with it but not really any good.’’
He went on to spend time with the British Cycling team as a doctor the year before the Sydney Olympics but didn’t reapply as he was finishing off his GP training and wasn’t keen to live in Manchester.
Fish said he was really enjoying riding again, especially as two of his three sons, Peter and Jonathan, were also keen cyclists.
‘‘The good thing is in terms of the ride, I don’t think I’ve ever been fitter.’’
Fish is also an accomplished fencer, having represented New Zealand at masters level and started a fencing club in Waimate.
Anyone interested in donating can do so through the Everest Waimate ‘every day hero’ website.
https://give.everydayhero.com/nz/Everest-Waimate