My story

I would like to say a massive thank you to all who have sponsored and supported my challenge. I paid for the cost of the trek myself and therefore all donations are going direct to the Cure Leukaemia charity.  I have now raised a massive £14,841 for Cure Leukaemia.  Thank you all so much for your support towards my endeavour in memory of my remarkable sister Georgina.


What began as a challenge that I had promised Georgina I would do to raise funds for Cure Leukaemia, turned into one of the most amazing experiences of my life and also one of the most trying.  After six months of training, I left for my adventure on Friday 11 June, flying overnight to Tanzania.   Whilst flying to Kilimanjaro airport, I got my first glimpse of ‘the mountain’, it’s peak hovering above the clouds that we were flying up alongside.

 

The climb took six days, covering a total distance of 60 miles.  I walked in a group of four trekkers, supported by two guides and eleven porters. We travelled on the Rongai route, walking up the northern side of Kilimanjaro, looking down across the Kenyan plains as we climbed. As we walked we travelled through four eco systems up the mountain: Rainforest, heath moorland, alpine desert and glaciers. It was awesome walking through such different terrains on one mountain.  The summit night was the hardest and most trying physical challenge of my life.  Our team began our twelve-hour ascent at midnight on Wednesday night in what was to become a very long, steep, dark, cold and seemingly never ending climb up volcanic scree and then across snow to reach the final summit Uhuru peak, 5,895m at 8.15am on Thursday 17 June (see picture above, I’m the one with my hand raised in triumph, a lot of people struggle to recognise me under all of those layers)!  It was the most exhilarating feeling reaching the summit. ‘Uhuru’ in Swahili means freedom. I certainly felt this whilst stood floating above the clouds standing at the highest point of Africa, it was a truly magnificent moment that I will never forget.

I will be paying for the cost of the trek myself and therefore all sponsorship funds raised will go directly to Cure Leukaemia.

In memory of Georgina

I will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding volcano in the world in June 2010 to raise money for Cure Leukaemia.  The climb will involve months of training to prepare for seven days of trekking ascending 5,895 metres, in temperatures that could plummet to – 20 C.
 
Georgina was an inspirational young girl, who lived her life to the full, achieving academically with aspirations to study food science and nutrition at Reading University. Cooking was Georgina’s passion. Among many food achievements, Georgina completed work experience with Michelin star chef Raymond Blanc, worked for Daylesford Organic, and went on to win Step up to the Plate, she had a natural talent and flair with food that excelled way beyond her years.  Georgina passed away at the age of twenty after her ten-year battle with leukaemia.  We all know that during her years of treatment Georgina faced many complications and climbed many emotional and physical mountains of her own, she was fazed by nothing, I would like to complete this climb in memory of her.  

Cure Leukaemia is a charity that is close to my heart.  The charity was established to support the innovative centre for clinical haematology, known as the Leukaemia Centre, independently funded at the University Hospital Birmingham where Georgina received treatment and care. Each year there are 25,000 patients in the UK newly diagnosed with leukaemia and currently 80% of these adults will die from leukaemia. The Leukaemia Centre Project has been set up to develop and deliver new treatments to benefit leukaemia patients. This centre of excellence aims to transform the environment for patients receiving treatment for leukaemia, develop world-class clinical research and set up support groups for patients and their families.

Please can I ask for your help to reach my target goal of £5,000 for Cure Leukaemia.  I will be paying for the cost of the trek myself and therefore all sponsorship funds raised will go directly to Cure Leukaemia. 

Thank you so very much for taking the time to visit my page.


Georgina’s courage, resilience, and unfaltering determination in life is a lesson to us all.


Thank you so very much for your support.


Pippa Mawle

Please send me an email if you would like to read the diary I have written of my Kilimanjaro adventure.


To provide an insight into the Rongai route that I will be taking, please have a read of the following article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/7050801/Mount-Kilimanjaro-Climb-and-punishment.html
  



My gallery 8

My Teams

My company

My charity

Cure Leukaemia

Cure Leukaemia

Charity Registration No. 1100154

We fund specialist nurses to deliver new drugs & transplant treatments to blood cancer patients throughout the Midlands & Birmingham Children's Hospital. Our message is simple, the more funds we raise the more nurses we employ, the more lives we can save. Please help us.

Donations 136

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Good luck Pip

Donation by Lee Taylor on 13/04/10

£30.00

+ £8.46 Gift Aid

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Donation by Pam Breen on 07/04/10

£50.00

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wishing you good luck, Pippa from Juliet, Susan's school friend.

Donation by Juliet carter on 06/04/10

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Go girl - I'll be thinking of you every step of the way

Donation by Susan Edwards on 04/04/10

£100.00

+ £28.21 Gift Aid

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Good luck Pip. I'll be thinking of you every step of the way. Love Kate

Donation by Kate Ashton-Rickardt on 02/04/10

£25.00

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Best of luck. Roger and Gail Paul

Donation by roger paul on 28/03/10

£30.00

+ £8.46 Gift Aid

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Good luck Pippa, a great effort for a very worthwhile cause.

Donation by Richard and Judith Cheney on 23/03/10

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Good Luck Pippa! What you're doing is amazing! x

Donation by Helen Hutchinson on 22/03/10

£30.00

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Good luck Pippa - what a great cause - Georgie would be really proud of you and good luck with all that training too x

Donation by Nige and Mags Phillips on 16/03/10

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

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Awesome challenge Pip. Best of luck with your preparation and look forward to seeing you soon x x

Donation by Ross and Bonnie on 15/03/10

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

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Hi pippa, i think what you are doing is amazing, that is one big hill, good luck. love lucy x x x

Donation by lucy tyrrell on 10/03/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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Dear Pippa, what a marvellous thing to do for Georgina. Good luck on the climb, and feel very proud of your achievement for this good cause.

Donation by Linda Sampson in Adelaide on 08/03/10

£50.00

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Good luck with the expedition. It's for a great cause.

Donation by Jeff & Helen Price on 02/03/10

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Hi Pippa Never had the privilege of meeting you or Georgina. You’re both an inspiration. Trev & Edith

Donation by Margaret Lamb on 24/02/10

£50.00

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Pippa -what a wonderful project to undertake in Georgies memory. Love from Robert and Jane

Donation by jane jervis on 23/02/10

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Pippa, you amaze me. Wishing you lots of luck and love on your climb. xx

Donation by Laura Wood on 19/02/10

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

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Hi Pippa, wishing you all the best for your climb. Georgina was such an inspiration to us all xxx

Donation by Grace Berry on 19/02/10

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

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Very happy to donate to such a worthy cause. Wishing you all the best.

Donation by Christine Aynsley (Anna's mum) on 18/02/10

£50.00

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Wishing you all the best Pip! A great idea for a great cause! Good luck xx

Donation by Nick Corby and Kelly Muddeman on 17/02/10

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

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George would be so proud of you as are we. We wish you all the luck in the world xxx

Donation by Heather and Jo Peebles on 17/02/10

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

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Such a good challenge for such a good cause! Good Luck Pippa x

Donation by Ben Fry on 17/02/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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A wonderful idea in memory of such an amazing person.

Donation by joanne king on 17/02/10

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Good luck Pippa, you are an inspiration xx

Donation by Jo on 17/02/10

£30.00

+ £8.46 Gift Aid

Good luck Pippa!

Donation by Lilian Pope (Anna's Grandma) on 16/02/10

£10.00

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Pippa - Georgina would be as proud of you as you are of her, Good luck x

Donation by Trudie Lobban on 15/02/10

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

Donation summary

  • * Online donations$10,114.17
  • Offline donations$13,068.35
  • Text donations$0.00
  • Total raised$23,182.52
  • Gift Aid$2,213.02

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.