Latest News: Stephen Joyce and the two Jims conquer Kilimanjaro!

Stephen Joyce, our Training Manager at Deafblind Scotland, has just completed a remarkable feat by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain on the planet. Stephen, who has Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic condition which causes deafness from birth followed by a gradual loss of vision, reached the summit in the early hours of Thursday morning (March 20th) after deciding to complete the final section of the arduous climb unassisted, his two stalwart guides (Jim Lee and Jim Harley) following on behind. Naturally, Stephen was delighted to reach the summit given only 60% of climbers actually make it to the top, primarily as a result of altitude sickness.

Stephen said, “All the hard work and training we did over the last few months really paid off as I felt strong throughout the climb although it was a real battle on the final ascent, my lungs were burning and my legs felt like lead. I’m so glad I made it to the top, it’s been a dream of mine for many, many years now, and the panorama from Uhuru Peak (5,895m) was breathtaking, a glorious view of spectacular glaciers, ice cliffs and the savannah receding below, I’ll never forget it. We watched a beautiful sunrise from Stella Point, 161m below the summit, before mentally preparing ourselves for one last big push. I was determined to climb to the peak myself, without my guides who had helped me up the mountain until then, it just felt like the right thing to do, to face the challenge alone and head-on. I stumbled and fell several times on the home straight but it was worth all the cuts and bruises to fulfil my ambition; I hope this will inspire other deafblind people to believe they can achieve their own personal goals.”

Stephen and the two Jims have raised over £12,000 for Deafblind Scotland so far, and hope to achieve at least £14,000. Deafblind Scotland serves people who have lost, or are losing, both their sight and hearing, and aspires to enable all deafblind people to fulfil their dreams. We are eternally grateful to the volunteers who help our deafblind members to lead as full and as active lives as possible.

Contributions can be made to Deafblind Scotland by visiting Stephen’s Justgiving page www.justgiving.com/shiningmountain