If you would have told John Cairns 25 years ago he’d attempt to climb the world’s tallest free-standing mountain one day, he says he would have laughed at you in disbelief.
Seeing is now believing as the president and founder of the Wheel Chair For Hope Foundation, who is also a double amputee, boarded a plane Thursday en-route to hike Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa to raise funds for local mobility efforts.
On August 1, Cairns will head out with a guide and local photo journalist Lucas Wiseman to take on the ultimate challenge. It requires him to hike for seven days, from 2 to 12 hours per day (2 to 12 miles) on moderate to steep grades and at elevations ranging from 7,000 feet to a max of 19,340 feet. The walk down is expected to take three days.
A feat that Cairns admitted that at one point in his life he never would have dreamed of.
On November 30, 1992, Cairns lost both his right arm and leg during a serious workplace accident where he was run over trying to stop a 68 ton rail-car that was slowly moving toward another group of workers. He described the tragic experience as one he could have never planned for, that took years of physical and psychological rehabilitation to overcome. He said it was a miracle he not only survived, considering the amount of blood loss and multiple organ break down, but that he was able to push through death to come out on the other side. He explained there had to be something higher than this tragedy and he made the conscious choice not to live his life as a victim and to find opportunities to challenge himself.
Looking back at how far he’s come Cairns said it is surreal knowing in a few short days he will be hiking “Mt. Kili” through rain forests, heather moors, lava formations, and glaciers to reach the summit.
Putting the climb into perspective, Cairns knows the insurmountable odds of completing the huge task ahead of him, considering only 50% of able-bodied people conquer it. But he’s been training physically and mentally, so he proudly pumped his fist he’s ready.
You can follow Cairns’ journey by clicking here http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0PrKJsjXf5CqUrHAq5ojj89FdUkJIRfkt
To learn more or to find out how you can donate visit https://www.gofundme.com/climbformobility
To hear the entire interview with Cairns click here.