The team is raising funds for the Downside Up, a Moscow charity that assists Russian families who are raising children with Down syndrome. Downside Up develops innovative child training and parent support methods, disseminates knowledge and experience among Russian professionals, and works to raise public awareness about Down syndrome with the aim of changing attitudes. Downside Up provides all of its programmes to families free of charge.
This initiative was inspired by one of the partners, Jeremy Barnes, who was a founder and is a long time supporter of the Downside Up charity. Jeremy involved other partners in this personal challenge, explaining that “to climb Africa's highest mountain is nothing compared to the daily struggle of Russian children with Down Syndrome.”
