I may be the most unlikely Kilimanjaro climber...
Hi everybody -
So as I lie here comfortably on my couch on a Saturday night - I'm less than three months away from embarking on a trip of a lifetime. I can guarantee this trip will have no comfortable moments as I'm experiencing right now!
I've been keeping this secret under wraps for a few weeks - other than family and a close group of friends - but here's some big news: I'll be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro - the tallest freestanding mountain in the world - later this summer.
If you're asking why - it's for a simple reason: I'm part of a small group of Golin employees trying to save an endangered species.
I've always had a travel bug since I was a kid - but oddly enough, I never had a strong calling to visit Africa... I don't even think I had anything in Africa on my 'bucket list' - but now I do! I guess I planned to check it off eventually with a trip to Egypt - but never imagined I'd be spending a week in Tanzania!
A few months ago, one of Golin's CEOs sent out a company-wide email describing this opportunity and said they would take 20 employees (out of about 700 worldwide) to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I applied... and turns out, I got picked! So, I'll be traveling to Tanzania in late July with two other fellow Golin Dallas team members, and we'll meet up with other Golin employees from Asia, Europe and North America offices.
Coincidentally, the email from our CEO reminded me of a similar one I received in the fall of 2007 at Mizzou about an opportunity to work at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. My initial reaction to both of these emails was the same: "what do I have to lose?" It turns out my experiences in China in 2008 ended up being life-changing - and I can't imagine how Kili turns out to be any less impactful. Sometimes the most unexpected emails can have the biggest impacts on your life.
From all I've heard (and lots that I've read so far), this climb will be a major challenge, but achievable with enough preparation. This means I have to hit the gym again and own the Stairmaster :) So far, I've started prepping with 4-5 mile walks around our neighborhood and lost* about 10 pounds in the past 6 weeks. *I can't guarantee I've kept all this weight off since my trip to China last month. Just sayin' ;)
In the coming weeks, I'll continue to share more details about my prep and the exciting things I'm learning about Kilimanjaro. So please stay tuned to new posts I share on this page and I encourage you to join me (and support this mission)!
Speaking of which, I won't be able to climb alone - I will need your help. I'm covering all my travel expenses myself (flights, climbing fees, equipment, etc.) - but I am still responsible for raising $1000 from friends and family to save an endangered species (more details to come later). I'd appreciate anything you can contribute - $10 can even make a difference. You can make a donation to the foundation here: https://www.gofundme.com/save-the-pangolin-species
Until next time!
-Mark
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