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 Click here to read biographies on the athletes and guides |
On September 3, 2001, seven Achilles athletes and nineteen Achilles guides became the largest group of physically disabled athletes ever to climb to the "roof of Africa", Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, which stands at 19,340 feet.
Of the seven athletes, four are blind or visually impaired, one is deaf and asthmatic, one is an arm amputee/cancer survivor and one is a cancer survivor. The nineteen guides supported them from being their eyes and ears to being their cheerleaders, coaching them through difficult moments. Although, more often the guides felt the tables turned and they were relying on the encouragement of the athletes. 
The team took the less traveled and more rugged Rongai Route, taking a total of eight days to complete the round-trip adventure. The group spent six and a half days climbing up, with two of those days spent acclimatizing at 15,500 ft. As the team was comprised of sea-level dwellers, the acclimatization period was needed to ease the effects of altitude sickness.
The team battled through altitude sickness and fatigue and pulled off a 94% success rate, far exceeding the average of 75%. Out of twenty-seven climbers, twenty-five reached Gillman's Point (18,650 ft.). Ten of those twenty-five soldiered on, braving subfreezing temperatures and unimaginable weariness, and conquered Uhuru Peak (19,340 ft.). 
Although the Kilimanjaro climb is considered "non-technical" it is by no means an easy trek. While it may not have required ropes or crampons, it did required peak physical conditioning and a tenacious mental state. The team spent every day outside and every night in a tent where they battled freezing temperatures, nausea and sleeplessness associated with altitude sickness, a rocky terrain that was especially tough on the blind athletes and their guides, and the increasingly thinning air. Asthmatic athlete, Katie Kenney, remembers, "I was zooming right along the first few days of the climb. I took Diamox for altitude sickness and didn't suffer like everyone else until summit day, thank goodness. Well, summit day was enough to make up for it. It nearly killed me- literally! I thought I was going to die my lungs were struggling that much. However, I made it to the top the help of my guides, which made all the suffering and hard work worthwhile."
Ivonne Mosquerra, one of the blind athletes who made it to Uhuru, recounted, "Once our hike began, my mind and body were constantly working to absorb as much as I could. The hiking and rock climbing were exhilarating -through these I was able to gain a sense of the wide-open space surrounding us, and the height we gained as we ascended. I felt peaceful, free, and a part of nature as we hiked beyond the clouds, the wind blew, and the sun intensely shown keeping me warm. Along the way, there were also tons of new plants, sounds of birds, crystals, and smells, which helped me vividly create an image of Kilimanjaro". 
Expedition Director, Adrienne Cooney, remembers, "The hike was the most physically and mentally challenging thing I have ever done. So many times I wanted to sit down or turn back, but whenever I felt that way, I would just observe the teamwork around me and hear the spirit in the voices of the athletes as they put one foot in front of the other and never turned back. Additionally, the respect and admiration the athletes held for the nature I described really heightened my own senses appreciation for the beauty that surrounded us"
Mosquera added, "I hope my success can serve as a pillar of strength, an example of determination, and an inspiration for all those who are disabled and who have been discouraged from pursuing their dreams, whatever they may be. For the able bodied individuals who see our story, I hope they learn that working with a disabled individual is no different than working with an able bodied person. We, both able and disabled climbed Kilimanjaro, succeeding at an extreme sport, together". The climbers also updated a daily diary to chart the expedition's progress towards the summit. If you would to donate or would like more information about this trip, call Adrienne Cooney at (212) 354-6427. This trip is made possible thanks to the generosity of the following sponsors.
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