Reporter J White
Roy Price, from Crewe, has successfully scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of the Macmillan Chemotherapy Suite at Leighton Hospital in Crewe. Roy made the self-funded trip to Tanzania to climb the highest mountain in Africa in September this year.
Before the start of his 6-day adventure there was little doubt that the fit 51-year-old would saunter through the walking aspect of tackling the 5,895m high icon – but altitude sickness is another matter entirely and not something everyone can avoid, regardless of fitness level.
Kilimanjaro was a succession of climate zones with rainforest giving way to heath, boulder fields and high desert before the final pumice-covered stage of the climb.
Roy raised money in memory of his wife - Ruth Price - who passed away in February this year from secondary breast cancer. Ruth was treated at the Macmillan Cancer Unit at Leighton Hospital and received exemplary care.
Roy and his friend Ian Jones, 46 also from Crewe, have raised £4,128 thus far this year. Along with the Kilimanjaro climb, the money was raised via Roy pushing a 100kg wheelbarrow and Ian wearing a bear costume on a walk from Crewe to Nantwich and back, a garden party at The Woodside in Wistaston, a charity night at the Bombay Restaurant in Crewe, a tombola & raffle stall at The Co-operative Food in Shavington and by Roy hauling a wheelbarrow and Ian wearing a bear costume to walk up Snowdon mountain.
Roy has also generously made a personal donation of £4,500 to the local charity ‘Shine Bright Foundation’ - http://www.shine-bright-foundation.org.uk/ - to help fund trials for triple negative breast cancer and support anybody receiving breast cancer treatment.
Roy Price said, “Well after only 17 weeks of training I did it. My friends were calling me crazy when I booked the trip to Tanzania at the end of April - you must be mad most of them said!
I decided at the end of May to start putting some serious effort in to training. Not only did I shed one and a half stone in weight I put myself in the best position possible to take on Kilimanjaro. What an adventure, I’m telling everyone Kilimanjaro was easy and I guess it was compared to how I expected to be, but in honesty it was hard work. I had no idea what effects the altitude would have on my body, my first trip up a mountain was the 27th of May this year and believe me Kilimanjaro is nothing like Snowdon!
I was extremely lucky as I suffered no altitude sickness whatsoever, although I did suffer with a stomach bug 24 hours prior to summit day meaning I’d had little or no sleep and couldn’t really eat much. Despite this when we headed for the summit I knew nothing would stop me, I was pretty tired and hungry so all I could do was to focus on my goal. My goal of touching the stars on what would have been my 27th wedding anniversary. I achieved my goal and I stood on the highest mountain in Africa. I’d taken a pink flashing bow headband with me which I wore on the summit for a photo, some will understand this and some won’t. The pink bow was something I wore as I left Ruth behind at the Crematorium on the 22nd of February this year, the bow signifies the craziness and the happiness that Ruth spread throughout her life, this journey was about the memory of Ruth and supporting all those that helped her during her cancer journey.
It’s absolutely amazing the support I’ve had and the number of people following my story. I really would like to say a big thank you to everyone for your support and your generosity, without your support I don’t think I would have achieved this. I still can’t believe that we raised £4,128.01 for the Macmillan Chemotherapy unit, it’s a fantastic result.
Additionally, I said I’d match everyone’s donations and make a personal donation to “Shine Bright Foundation”, well I decided to donate just a little more as a special thanks for the encouragement and support of the Shine Bright team. I was honoured to present them with a cheque for £4,500.00.
A massive grand total of £8,628.01 has gone to charity because of this challenge.
Very special thanks to Ian ‘The Bear’ Jones and the Crazy Crew, Clare Everall, Sarah Jones & Ellie Foster. I thank you guys from the bottom of my heart you really did keep me focused and help me raise so much for charity. Another thanks to some people that haven’t had a mention, my new friends that I climbed Kilimanjaro with. You all knew why I was there and I’d like to say thank you, it was an emotional challenge for me and difficult because I went on my own, your words of encouragement really did help.
Moving on from Kilimanjaro I know I need to do things for me, that will include mountains and it will include some crazy fundraisers. It’s likely that you will see me around training very soon. I’ll be on a tandem bicycle so I guess easy to spot. I’ll be helping to support and promote our local Triple Negative Breast Cancer Charity “Shine Bright Foundation”. I think I’ve talked my friend Ian The Bear to join me too. My aim is going to be to make people smile, smiles are the good times, the happy memories that help us get through the tough days. So keep your eyes peeled for Roy’s crazy adventures in support of Shine Bright Foundation will be continuing soon…”
Carole Salmon, Community Fundraiser - Mid Cheshire Hospitals Charity, said, “A massive well done and thank you to Roy for completing this challenge of a lifetime. It has been a pleasure to support him with his fundraising. The local community have really got behind him in lots of different ways. Thank you also to Ian Jones who also joined Roy with many of his crazy fundraising stunts dressed as a Bear. The money raised will benefit the Macmillan unit at Leighton Hospital and a powerful way to thank the staff who cared for his wife, Ruth and supported his family earlier this year.”
Jacky Atkinson from Shine Bright Foundation said, “What Roy achieved in such a short period of time this year is phenomenal. All his training and hard work and his continuous efforts to raise awareness of Shine Bright Foundation and Triple Negative Breast Cancer have boosted our charity no end. When we had the cheque presentation at The Woodside we thought we knew the amount Roy was giving to us. He then uncovered the amount he was donating to us and it was £4,500! To say it was emotional is an understatement and I definitely had a few tears. My one regret, Roy found a Shine Bright contact card in Ruth’s possessions, I just wish we had been able to meet her and help her.
Setting up a charity to raise awareness and funds for Triple Negative Breast Cancer was the vision of our Sarah Bennett. The charity has continued to grow in strength and as a result of people like Roy choosing to fundraise for us we have been able to donate a massive £47,000 to Triple Negative Breast Cancer trials and also still be able to help people locally going through breast cancer by providing holistic therapies at the Navitas Centre in Crewe. Triple Negative Breast Cancer is such an aggressive breast cancer and Shine Bright Foundation are doing everything we can to raise awareness and fund new trials.”
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