The Kilimanjaro Challenge - March 2012

THE MARCH CHALLENGE IS NOW FULLY BOOKED. To express your interest for similar events in the future, please click here.

At 5,895m (19,341ft), Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. Throughout history, it has evoked awe and fascination, and as a result, is internationally renowned for the challenge it presents to all those who attempt to reach its summit. On 1 March 2012, our Blood, Sweat & Compassion team will take on this notorious challenge and change lives by doing so.

Who will benefit?

Each year, thousands of students graduate from Compassion's Child Development Programme. Among them are a number of young leaders who aspire to continue their education in order to become agents of change for their communities and nations, yet lack the resources to do so.

Compassion's Leadership Development Programme (LDP) identifies outstanding students and provides them with an opportunity to attend university and receive Christian leadership training to develop their intrinsic leadership skills. Each LDP student is selected according to a set of strict criteria including academic achievement, Christian commitment, demonstrated leadership skills and a willingness to serve. The students whose lives will be changed by the Blood, Sweat & Compassion Kilimanjaro Challenge team are profiled here.

Our team are directly supporting these students as a result of their commitment to this amazing experience, and are helping to raise up tomorrow’s leaders in doing so.

The Challenge Team:

Helen Tester

My name is Helen Tester and I am just an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for a charity I am passionate about. I'll be joining the Blood, Sweat & Compassion Kilimanjaro March 2012 Trek and at 5,895m (19,341ft), Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa) will pose a massive challenge for me personally. I'll be raising money that will enable young people to be invested in further by Compassion's Leadership Development Programme (LDP).

Naomi Jones

I am a 23 year old chemical engineer, originally from New Zealand but currently living in Hull, East Yorkshire. I am passionate about empowering people to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty, and look forward to taking part in this challenge as a means of raising awareness and support for some truly inspirational young leaders.

Sarah Champneys

I am married to Toby and a mum to two wonderful boys, Harvey aged 9 and Max aged 7. I am 39 years old and live in Frant, East Sussex. I have worked with Compassion now since August 2010 am now very excited to be joining this special challenge in March 2012. I have never climbed or trekked up a mountain, but I am very excited to meet the students, meet the other challenge participants and experience all that Kilimanjaro offers!

Samuel Leeds

Hi I'm Samuel, Samuel Leeds. I am 20 years old and am a full-time Bible student at Birmingham New College. I have been sponsoring a child for the last two years and am very passionate about Compassion UK. I am so excited about this challenge and being part in joining this great cause.

Jon Toohey

I'm South African (studied at Wits and worked in Johannesburg) but left many years ago to Cambridge, Amsterdam and now Sandhurst. Married and have three teenage children. I work in the finance department of a travel technology company. As a family we already support 3 children on the childrens programme, as well as a student at Maseno University, Kenya.

Tobie Janse van Rensburg

Jambo! I'm 29 years old and from sunny South Africa, and have a deep passion for our lovely continent. Being in the IT industry, I'm stuck behind a PC for most of the day, and when the email from Compassion came about this life changing opportunity, everything in my heart, mind and soul shouted: JUST DO IT! I heard about Compassion during my time in the UK in 2008, and I started sponsoring Joshua (from Uganda), and have seen the direct impact that investment in young lives can make. I am thrilled to be able to join them on this incredible and hugely beneficial challenge.

Kevin Foote

I am a 55 year old lorry driver, married to Trisha. Last year we went to Kolkata, India and worked with the street children and Big Life Ministries, this experience has motivated me to try and help and provide for others looking to further themselves. This climb will allow me to raise money for people whilst challenging myself in the process. I particularly dislike flying, so just getting to Africa will be a challenge in itself!

Sam Smith

I am 31 years old and live in a town called Sklemersdale near Liverpool. I am so excited to be part of the Blood,Sweat & Compassion team heading out in March 2012. My wife and I have been supporting Compassion for the last four years and sponsor 3 amazing children from Haiti, India & Ethiopia. I am totally up for this challenge not just for me personally but also to raise money for such a worthy cause to see 4 young people brought from poverty and getting the chance to be leaders and changers in their societies.

Helen Harris

I am a 46 year old mum to 3 gorgeous boys, Tom who is 20, Jackson 19 and Freddie 15. I have been married to Mike for 21 years and decided that now my boys are growing up fast I needed to find myself a challenge. As a family we already sponsor 2 young girls from Columbia and Honduras through the Child Development Sponsorship Programme. So when I received the email about sponsoring Kenyan students to help put them through University I decided to grab this opportunity with both hands, or should I say feet. I never ever thought of mountain climbing, but when the challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro arose it filled me with excitement. I very much look forward to conquering my fear for heights!! I have started my training by walking up the North Downs; what an adventure it will be........

Brenda Rathmell

I am a 65year old grandmother from Yorkshire looking for a challenge so I have joined the Blood Sweat and Compassion Kilimanjaro team for March 2012. My husband and I have supported Compassion for nearly 10 years and have 2 sponsored children - in Uganda and Ethiopia. I have already started to prepare for this great adventure and am excited to be able to join in this once in a lifetime opportunity to support the amazing work that Compassion does. What I lack in youth and vigour I intend to make up for in enthusiasm and endurance.

Howard Petch

At 68 years old I am thrilled to be joining the Blood Sweat and Compassion Kilimanjaro team in March. Coming from the flatter lands of East Yorkshire it will be a real challenge but one that I relish given the inspiring work that Compassion does. Together with my wife Shirley we sponsor two children through Compassion, Erica in The Philippines and Alemshet in Ethiopia. This adventure is about supporting those who irrespective of their background have the potential to lead and inspire others.

Edgar Rich

I am a 57 year old retired IT Network Sales Consultant living in Camberley, Surrey. I keep myself busy at the moment by studying for a degree in Theology from the London School of Theology, Northwood, Middlesex, learning the Turkish language because my wife and I have been going there on mission work for the last three years. I am also actively involved in my local church in Bagshot called the Brook Church with various outreach activities. I am a keen sportsman playing cricket, squash and badminton on a regular basis plus I like to keep fit by visiting my local gym, Fitness First in Camberley. I also enjoy hill walking, over the last two years I have visited the Lake District and thoroughly enjoyed my walks in this beautiful part of Lancashire.

Paul Clark

Hi I'm 46 married with 3 step daughters and one grand daughter. I have been really blessed to go on this trip and will do my best to complete the challenge. In the summer i spent time in Swaziland helping my brother in law and his wife working with Challenge Ministries. This was a very humbling experience for my wife and i. I spend alot of time walking and average about 30 miles a week. I also have spent a large part of my life around horses and enjoyed a horse safari in the summer. I am looking forward to the awsome challenge put in frount of me.

Jo Cromarty

I am 43 years old and live in County Durham with my husband and 2 children (10 and 8). I work as an Occupational Therapist in a Community Mental Health Team. I have joined the Blood, Sweat and Compassion Kilimanjaro Challenge Team departing in March 2012 and am thrilled to be supporting 'Compassion' - a charity rooted in the principle that ordinary people can bring about extraordinary change.

Megan Redwood

Hi my name is Megan, I am 20 years old and come from Taunton in Somerset. I work in the Debt Recovery Department of a Solicitors Office, a job I never expected to do but thoroughly enjoy. This is the first time I have set myself a challenge such as this and I am counting down the days with excitement! A friend who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for chairty last year gave me this advice - 'I'm not going to lie to you, it is probably one of the hardest things you will do in your life, but its one of those mind over matter things, if you want to get to the top enough then you will'. I want to get to the top...so, meeting the students who will benefit from this trip before climbing will be my motivation to get to the summit!

Ian & Liz Hargreaves

We live in Cherry Burton, near Beverley in East Yorkshire and run a small consultancy company. Ian does most of the consultancy work, in health and social care, whilst Liz runs the office and keeps our books and accounts in order. Liz is a churchwarden in our village church and we are both actively invovled in youthwork and various other 'callings'. We have three wonderful daughters (Joanne, Laura and Elaine), who have all gone through university and are now working in good jobs. Laura is due to present us with our first grandchild next June, so we have a short 'window' to do something very different!. We enjoy walking our dog every day and get out on longer walks whenever we can, so the Kilmanjaro trek seemed a natural progression.

Peter, David and Paul Steinegger

Three brothers from three countries converging on one mountain for a once in a lifetime experience! Peter - I'm the oldest of the three brothers, but still feel very young at heart. Having lived and worked in Switzerland for most of my life, mountain climbing is not new to me. Kilimanjaro however would be, along with the physical challenge that it would bring. I'm already looking forward to this experience, together with my brothers while at the same time making a contribution to what I see as a really worthy cause. David - I am 50 years old, married with three children and live and work in Luxembourg. I am a keen long distance runner and am delighted to have the opportunity to climb Kilimanjaro, something I have dreamed about for many years. I am thrilled that this can be combined with raising money for a worthy charity. Paul - I am the youngest of the three brothers and probably the least fit! I'm living in Dublin. I am really looking forward to the challenge that Kilimanjaro will bring and raising money for a great cause.

Sam Hawthorne

I'm a 21 year old business student originally from Manchester but now live in the conveniently hilly city of Sheffield. I am so thrilled to have scraped the funds together to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, but am even more pumped by the prospect of raising funds for a charity I'm so passionate about. I've got three kids I personally sponsor in Haiti through Compassion and have been fortunate enough to meet each one of them in person. After returning from my 2 trips to Haiti I was completely overwhelmed by the transformation Compassion makes in a child's life and can't wait to directly help make a difference to the lives of those less fortunate than us.

Arike Aiyetigbo

I am a 37 year old female originally from Lagos now lives in London, I am married to Yinka and have two awesome kids Isabelle, 10 and Michelangelo, 7. My two passions are education and emancipation of children in poverty. I have joined the Blood Sweat & Compassion Kilimanjaro Challenge team departing March 1 2012. The 'cause' and charity - compassion is amazing! I am honoured to be part of this daunting challenge to go back to Africa and climb the 4th highest of the worlds seven summits at 19,341 ft for another person like you and I.

James MacLeod

Hi, my name James, I love Jesus and I am a proud Cornishman. I served a four year electrical engineering apprenticeship with the local water company here, and now work for SWW full time. Outside of work I have the privilege of being involved with my home church in Camelford, and a great youth club in the town of Wadebridge, which is so much fun. I consider any day without at least some time spent outdoors a waste, and I can't wait to explore Kilimanjaro, hopefully all the way to the top! The only snag will be being away from my beautiful girlfriend Laura.

Mike Toohey

Iâm Mike- a 19 year old student on a gap year who lives in Sandhurst, Berkshire. Iâve sponsored a child in Tanzania through Compassion for three years now, and have been really amazed by the difference it seems to have made to his life! I love the outdoors, Africa and physical challenges and so think the Kilimanjaro trip is just the right thing for me to do to support a charity I believe strongly in, and have an incredible experience at the same time.

Eddie Loewendahl

I am a semi-retired catering consultant from Newport, Shropshire and will be spending my 65th Birthday attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania as part of the Blood, Sweat & Compassion Challenge Team departing on 1st March 2012. Compassion is an amazing charity that I have supported for many years and have personally witnessed the difference sponsorship can make to the lives of children living in abject poverty and I am honored to have been invited to join them on this incredible and hugely beneficial challenge.