Matt Haycox Makes It to the Summit of Kilimanjaro for Charity

By Ricky Browne

Entrepreneur and Funding Guru Matt Haycox climbed to the snow-capped peak of Mt Kilimanjaro on October 6, accomplishing the goal he set out for himself while trying to raise money for his charitable children’s foundation.

“I did it!” Matt reported on social media after reaching the Uhuru Point peak. The highest point in Africa at 5,895 metres (19,340 ft), Kilimanjaro is considered the fourth highest of the world’s seven continental peaks.  It is also the world’s tallest free-standing mountain.

Matt celebrated with a frontal photo shot of himself at the peak with no encumbrances, much like the day he was born — though an image of a flag from the Central African Republic preserved his modesty. A banner behind him promoted The Matt Haycox Show.

Earlier, at the halfway mark, no flags were in sight as Matt celebrated with a nude shot of him overlooking the view, but promised a more revealing shot when he made it to the top.

“Have no energy to speak or write and am now working my way down the mountain for my first shower in six days!” Matt said in his announcement.

Matt thanked his followers for their support, encouragement and sponsorship, which was “much more than I ever expected or imagined and I’m genuinely super humbled x.”

Along with Matt on his team were athlete and motivational coach Jean-Pierre de Villiers and videographer Kallum Love who was shooting a documentary of the climb.

JP was making the climb only 15 months after a horrific bike/car collision back in May 2019, when he almost lost his life. Like Matt, he too was raising money, his chosen charity being the Mind Charity which helps people struggling with mental issues.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

On his way up, Matt said that the climb had not been easy, “but one step at a time and we will get there.”

The climb took six days, one of the more difficult and shorter routes. The team of six people was assisted by another team of more than 20 people to help them with the climb.

In a previous post, Matt noted that the climb had been “seriously tough” over the previous few days.

“The walking is hard, but the real killer is the sleeping conditions. And lack of WiFi!”

Also difficult was the freezing cold, lack of sleep and difficulty breathing — not to mention the bathroom facilities which left quite a bit to be desired. Although unable to post live, Matt made several short videos about his experience on the way up, and noted a conversation with one of his porters who said he had climbed the mountain more than 50 times.

“I’m gonna get to the top though and then I’ll turn around!” Matt posted.

Some 30,000 people climb Kilimanjaro per year, but as much as half may not make it to the top, and about 1,000 people per year are evacuated. Also, about 10 deaths are reported each year, with the main cause being altitude sickness — but it is believed that actual deaths could be as much as 30 per year.

The high altitude had been affecting Matt, who was short of breath for much of the time along with other members of the team. JP reported that he too was by some pretty bad altitude sickness on the way down, and had to slow his descent.

Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the tallest mountain in Africa, and at its peak of some 19,000 feet it is higher than base camp on Mt Everest.

MEETING THE CHALLENGE

Before setting out on his trek, Matt said he was certain that the climb would be tough and that it was most likely that he would want to give up more than 100 times on the way.

But he noted that “I have had that same thing happen tens of thousands of times during my life, if not hundreds of thousands.

“What remains the same is the power of resilience and sure will.

“I meant it when I said the other week, it doesn’t matter if I have to crawl to the peak… Nothing will stop me from achieving my goals when I set my mind to them.

“And the same goes for you with whatever challenge you are facing now.

“Just know that you can do it, you just need that reason why to be strong enough,’ Matt said.

The Matt Haycox Foundation is a charity which provides financial support to the lives of seriously and terminally ill children and their families. The Foundation works to make a positive difference for children who might be facing life-threatening illnesses, may need operations to walk again, or who need funding for new experimental life changing treatments.

“Every penny goes directly to the causes we support,” Matt said.