Climbing Mt.Everest to raise awareness on abilities of older sports persons

55-year Old Wambui Ngunya has intensified her preparations ahead of her planned Mt Everest trip where she will be seeking to become the oldest African female to climb the World’s highest peak in Nepal in May 2022.

She is currently preparing for the expedition by holding her training at an altitude in Naro Moru,Nyeri County.

The former Kenya Taekwondo Ladies Federation   chairperson who also holds a 3^rd Dan Blackbelt attained in 2014 aims to use the expedition so as to raise awareness and bring focus to the abilities of older persons.

‘’It goes without saying that the public in general do tend to underestimate the abilities of older persons and even discriminate. However, I am here to change that narrative; and I have begun that work already. At an event to mark the UN Day for Older Persons in October 2020, an event dubbed the Sirimon Challenge was held in Nanyuki that I organized. Activities were held at an Older Persons facility where there was a legal clinic, a dental clinic, distribution of food items, face masks & clothing as well as a tree planting exercise. Part of the activity then was for me to climb Mt. Kenya from Old Moses Camp to the summit Point Lenana and back in a day. This was accomplished. Normally, the climb takes three days or more’’, Wambui stated.

Wambui, a part time Taekwondo instructor embarked on the preparations earlier this year and is set to leave for Nepal in April where she will stay for two months acclimatizing.

The retired lawyer who has worked both in Kenya and abroad serving at the UN as a prosecutor in different stations including: East Timor, Darfur ,Sierra Leone,Khartoum,Liberia and Austria is also keen on casting spotlight on conservation of environment.

‘’I am a keen conservationist having had my first long-term experience with the outdoors when I was a student at Outward Bound Mountain School (OBMS) Loitokitok in 1985. Following this experience, I sought any opportunity to be outdoors in the plains, the coast or the Mountains and I have been privileged to have worked part time as an Instructor with OBMS’’, remarked Wambui who also added

‘’During all these travels I have noticed how our flora and fauna has suffered/become depleted as a result of human encroachment and perhaps a lack of attention by the general public that the choice to fell a tree today will have a long lasting effect for future generations. In this regard, I wrote a draft proposal in 2019 shared with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on the need to stabilize the climbing routes on Mt. Kenya so that climbers do not destroy the very delicate vegetation on the Mountain. Tanzania has done a very good job regarding this issue on Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru’’.

She will draw from her rich climbing experiences where she has managed to climb Mt. Kenya over 40 times; the last time being January 2022- Mt. Kilimanjaro 5 times and Mt. Meru once.

By climbing the Everest Wambui states that this will encourage the elderly and raise the stakes of  women and elderly in society. She requires Ksh.5 Million to make the trip a success having already rauised Ksh.3.2 Million.

Donations can be made through  M-Changa Platform: Mpesa Paybill: 891300 Account No: 53410.

Wambui Philosophies her dalliance with fitness and sports in a quote:  “Exercising is a blessing not a chore. I work out because I am grateful that I physically can – We all struggle through…. situation(s), weighing our alternatives, trying to do the right thing…..most of life’s puzzles don’t have clear cut right or wrong solutions. However, there is a piece to the puzzle that will always help in putting all other areas of your life into perspective; your health’’.

Wambui Ngunya’s Profile at Glance:

-1987 represented Kenya swimming at the All Africa Games.

-1996 represented Kenya at the All Africa Taekwondo Championshipships in Johannesburg. Won Gold Medal Welterweight.

-Wambui is a Third Dan Black Belt and a certified Taekwondo Instructor.

-2020 set record for a female over 50 years climbing Mt. Kenya