Rotarians Peter Gellatley, Gary Eastman, Nigel Turnbull, Esther Turnbull and Denise Myers of the Rotary Club of Winslow realised their dream when they saw the sun rise over Africa from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
They completed the arduous and cold six day ascent of the 6,000 metre high mountain with a combined age of over 320 years and believe that they may be one of the oldest average age groups ever to have completed the climb.
When they got home, the team met their Rotary colleagues to celebrate their success. All of them said it was difficult to find the right words to describe their incredible adventure and the emotions they felt when they reached the summit.
Peter said: “It was tough, but we worked as a team, determined that we would all stay together and succeed together. There were times when we felt way out of our comfort zones, but with the help of the local guides and the camaraderie of other groups, we just kept going. After the adrenaline rush at the summit, we faced a 17 hour descent which in many ways was the most difficult and dangerous time.”
Frank Donlon, President of the Rotary Club of Winslow said: “We are very proud of Peter and the team. They are a great advertisement for Rotary and what we stand for.”
All money raised will go to the Florence Nightingale Hospice, Puzzle Pre-School, and Help for Heroes.
