Want to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro for a Good Cause?

I did last year. Now it’s your turn!

Registration for Survivor Summit, a LIVESTRONG-partnered event I participated in as part of the inaugural 2012 team, opens today for its February 8-21, 2014 expedition…

This is an opportunity to fundraise $10,000 for cancer programs and services, and challenge yourself as you climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest freestanding mountain and one of the “seven summits.” This time around, you’ll head up the Rongai route to the roof of Africa. And as a reward, you’ll go on a safari after the climb to the Ngorongoro Crater.

No previous climbing experience is required; just a good attitude and a strong desire to kick cancer to the curb.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

You know this will be the experience of a lifetime. So go ahead, apply! Good luck!

My Austin Partner in Climb

It was so nice to catch up with my tentmate and “partner in climb” from Survivor Summit, Mindy today at Whole Foods! Even though we both live in Austin, we hadn’t seen each other since October. This time around, we didn’t have to worry about setting up our sleeping bags and sleeping pads in the shadow of Uhuru—we just ate good food and enjoyed each other’s company. Here’s hoping I get to see her again soon.

My Tumblr-versary

It’s been a year since I set up my Tumblr to get the word out about my climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro to fight cancer. Here was my first post, which has since been updated to reflect 365 days, 441 posts, and one very big summit (19,341 feet to be exact—which still sounds crazy) later. Some things have changed, but still there are things that stay the same: I still aspire to be the best person I can be, and each and every day, I’m learning how to do just that. There will be missteps along the way for sure, but all I can do it put one foot in front of the other and keep on climbing.

Reflecting on a Year of “Adventure”

On January 15, 2012, I publicly announced that I was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with Survivor Summit to help fight cancer. After many miles of traveling on airplanes, over 38 miles of hiking, and climbing 19,341 feet, I summitted the roof of Africa on July 2, 2012.

It’s hard to believe that a year has gone by since I started to fundraise money for a wonderful cause, and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime.

But the funny thing about adventure is that it doesn’t always include mountains, expeditions, or crazy goals. Sometimes, life has plans of its own that it likes to throw in, just to keep you on your toes. For me, I’ve definitely had my share of highs this past year, but I also encountered some pretty big lows—like landing myself in the hospital for two days for a recurring health issue.

But even though my expedition up Kili has long since ended, my adventure goes on. I’m reminded of a quote from Yvon Chouinard:

“The word ‘adventure’ has gotten overused. For me, when everything goes wrong, that’s when adventure starts.”

I’m not sure why, but in challenging times, this quote really helps bring me some perspective. I have no way of knowing what this year has in store for me, but I hope to learn and grow from whatever challenges—good or bad—may come my way, so that I can savor the “adventure” that is called life.

The Journey Is the Reward

In 2006, I was a pretty immature undergraduate student who hadn’t traveled anywhere outside of the United States. Lucky for me, I was able to participate in a unique study abroad experience called Semester at Sea (SAS), an accredited educational program aboard a converted cruise ship that integrates multiple-country study and interdisciplinary coursework for meaningful engagement in the global community.

My particular trip was a 65 day summer voyage around the Pacific Rim; we sailed from Mexico to Hawaii, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam (with an airplane ride to Cambodia), South Korea, Hong Kong, China, and Japan to San Diego. I witnessed extreme poverty, beautiful cultures and people, ancient temples and structures, and densely-populated urban environments, all of which fueled my desire to engage in service-related endeavors, and keep seeing as much of the world as possible. SAS helped me grow up, and the experience truly helped shape me into the person I am today.

Fast forward a few years later, and as you know, I was fortunate enough to be involved with the incredible organization known as Survivor Summit.

Well, a few months ago, I updated the SAS alumni relations office with news about our group’s successful climb to the roof of Africa. I opened up my mailbox today to find a copy of SAS’s Fall 2012 publication, Shipmates, and saw that Survivor Summit got a shout out. The short blurb states that,

“Lisa and her Survivor Summit teammates summitted Mt. Kilimanjaro on July 2, 2012, helping to raise more than $200,000 to benefit cancer programs at LIVESTRONG. Lisa credits her SAS experience with the inspiration to help those facing challenges.”

I think it’s worth noting that SAS really gave me the confidence to challenge myself. This lesson came in handy when I stood for 46 hours to fight pediatric cancer with Penn State’s Dance MaraTHON in 2007, and rode a bike 4,500 miles with Texas 4000 for Cancer in 2009. And that’s what my climb up Kilimanjaro with Survivor Summit in July was all about as well. In fact, Survivor Summit’s mission is to empower individuals and provide inspiration, motivation, and hope for those among us facing uphill battles. 

So thank goodness for the cool experiences I’ve had and for the amazing perspectives on life that I’ve gained as a result. I know I’ll cherish and grow from them for many years to come.

And after a long return to work post-holiday weekend, this magazine was a welcome and happy surprise in my mailbox, too. For want of SAS frozen yogurt from the MV Explorer’s seventh deck snack bar, I’m going to have to reward myself with some dark chocolate instead.