An Arizona woman will set a world record as the oldest woman to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
In July, Anne Lorimor, 85-years-young great-grandmother, will climb the highest peak in Africa to benefit Challenge Youth Fund. The expedition will be led by Werner Berger, who has climbed Kilimanjaro 4 times. He is the oldest person to have climbed the highest peak on each of the 7 continents. At 19,341 feet (5,895 m) Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Lorimor’s team includes her nephew and photographer, Kevin Gordon, and cinematographer Dave Derry from Canada.
Lorimor says, “I am not a professional climber, but I’ve always enjoyed
hiking. If I combine my interest in climbing with my passion for helping disadvantaged kids, what could be better?”
Lorimor trains by climbing Mummy Mountain daily. Camelback and Humphreys are future planned climbs. Just before going to Africa, Lorimor will spend time in Colorado Springs to acclimate to a higher altitude and climb peaks over 14,000 feet. At 76, she climbed Pike’s Peak and 4 other Fourteeners. In the past, she climbed other mountains in the western United States and Mexico, as well as Ayers Rock in Australia, the Great Pyramid in Egypt, and the pyramid in Mexico City.
Founded in 2004, Challenge Youth Fund is a donor-advised fund of Arizona Community Foundation. Lorimor is the founder and advisor. The mission of the fund is to help children and youth reach their full potential and, in turn, to make a difference in the world. The fund cooperates with other organizations to offer education and mentoring opportunities to children and youth, with an emphasis on homeless, foster, and orphan children.
Personally and in her capacity as advisor, Lorimor has collaborated with Rosie’s House, a Music Academy for Children; Youth at Risk; Boy’s Ranch in Texas; Boys and Girls Club; Family Promise; and many others. The fund will offer annual scholarships to the teen program in CEOSpace International. CEOSpace is an invitation-only networking and business-education organization with an outstanding teen program leader. Lorimor will sponsor the selected teens.
Helping kids has a 3-generation history in Lorimor’s family. Her grandfather took in 5 orphans and brought them up when an orphanage folded. As a little girl, she helped bathe, feed and dress baby orphans at a children’s home and school her parents founded in rural New Mexico. A few years ago, she had a surprise visit from one of those orphans. Lorimor mentored a number of at-risk children. She still keeps in touch with one girl that she mentored from age 6 to age 21.
More Outdoor Recreation News: Outdoors Activities
Climbing Equipment: Rock Climbing Ropes
Ref: http://www.digitaljournal.com/
