Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. It really means a lot to me - and the Marie Curie Nurses I am raising money for.
All the money you donate goes directly to Marie Curie. The costs of my challenge are being covered by sponsors, so any amount you are able to give will make a big difference.
I’m raising money for Marie Curie because when my first wife, Ginny, died from cancer 12 years ago, I experienced first-hand how distressing it can be when someone you love has a terminal illness - and why the work of Marie Curie is so important.
I hope that by my going for, and, hopefully, breaking world records, people will make a donation to Marie Curie. So I am attempting to be the first person to have crossed both polar ice caps - Antarctica and the Arctic - and climb the highest mountain on each continent.
Unfortunately I’m now 72, which is extremely annoying – it has a bad effect on getting up these mountains. I’ve had a couple of heart attacks, a double heart bypass, a cancer operation and this diabetes thing that doesn’t help in the cold. So while other people my age are sensibly enjoying their retirement, I’m taking this challenge. It unfortunately really isn’t going to be easy.
I’ve already crossed both ice caps and climbed Everest and Kilimanjaro…but I’ve still got a lot to do. I got to the top of Mount Elbrus in Russia, Europe’s tallest mountain, in July, but it was much tougher than I expected and I really had to push to get to the top. I’ve still got four mountains left, including the nasty Denali, the highest mountain in North America which I failed to climb earlier this year.
But I want to persevere to raise money for Marie Curie, and help them do their vital work. With your help, we can all make a difference - £20 pays for an hour of Marie Curie nursing care.
Marie Curie Nurses care for people with any terminal illness – not just terminal cancer – and they look after the whole family. They provide support and reassurance to people at the worst time in their lives. It’s not just the person that is ill that matters, but those who care for them too, who can be left with the lasting effects of losing someone.
But Marie Curie needs donations to continue running its Nursing Service, its hospices, its Support Line and much more. So please donate if you can. More information on Marie Curie can be found on their website www.mariecurie.org.uk.
Thank you.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes
The Global Reach Challenge – sponsored by Paul Sykes and TMF Group.
Breakdown of the Global Reach Challenge:
- Crossed polar ice caps, completed in 1982
- Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Asia, 4,877m / 16,001ft, completed in 2004
- Mount Everest, Nepal, Africa, 8,848m / 29,029ft, completed in 2009
- Mount Kosciuszko, Australia, Australasia, 2,228m / 7,310ft, completed in 2015
- Mount Elbrus, Russia, Europe 5,642m / 18,510ft, completed July 2016
- Mount Vinson, Antarctica, 4,897m / 16,066ft , attempting Nov - Dec 2016
- Aconcagua, Argentina, South America, 6,959m / 22,831ft, attempting Jan 2017
- Mount Carstensz, Indonesia, Australasia, 4,884m / 16,023ft, attempting April 2017
- Denali, Alaska, North America, 6,194m / 20,321ft, attempting 2017
