Keane Cassar and Nathan Mercieca, two employees of Mapfre MSV Life plc, were part of a group of 18 individuals from all walks of life who this year attempted to climb the Kilimanjaro.
The climb forms part of the yearly event, this year known as The Browns Kilimanjaro Challenge. This initiative started 12 years ago and has so far given the opportunity to around 100 members to challenge the elements and attempt to make it to the peak of the highest mountain in Africa. Standing at 5,895 metres above sea level, the Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world, with weather ranging from tropical heat to freezing temperatures.
Mr Mercieca said the training and determination required to achieve such a goal made him realise that life’s greatest competitor is not the person standing next to you, but the one inside your head.
“This challenge helped me renew my perspective of life and positively changed my approach and resolve in everything I do,” he said.
Upon reaching the mountain’s peak, Mr Cassar said: “The mantra on the mountain is ‘pole pole’, which translates to ‘slowly slowly’. It quickly becomes your life on the mountain and I think we can all learn from this. Also, the fact that, with one slow step after another you can reach the top of a mountain teaches you much more than you would have expected. Perhaps more impressive than the mountain was Ethiopia. We are all aware of such poverty, but being there is a completely different story. We have no idea just how lucky we are.”
Both Mr Cassar and Mr Mercieca thanked Mapfre MSV Life, one of the main sponsors of the event, for their support.
The challenge this year helped raise €65,000 to fund a kindergarten in a very remote village in Ethiopia.
The project was named after Chris Criminale, who was part of Kilimanjaro Challenge 8 and who sadly passed away in December 2015.
Since its inception, Kilimanjaro Challenge Malta has managed to raise over €600,000 for 10 projects, including schools, clinics and flour mills. Kilimanjaro Challenge Malta works in collaboration with Moviment Ġesù fil-Proxxmu, headed by Fr Ġorġ Grima.