Ryan Roberts of SATIB Life and Investments decided that the occasion of his fortieth birthday was the time to realise his lifelong dream of climbing Kilimanjaro.
“My thought was it’s now or never!” he says. He signed up with two friends and soon started to think about climbing for a greater cause. “Close friends of ours had lost their five-year old son to cancer and I decided to climb in memory of Roan. Rainbows and Smiles is a small charity which supported Roan and his family during his illness so I resolved to try and raise R100 000 for them, which I felt was a large enough amount to make a difference to at least one sick child.” To add an extra challenge and garner interest among people, Ryan committed to climbing the mountain with Roan’s weight when he fell ill strapped to his back – an extra 25kgs, over and above the usual 8 or 9kgs of supplies and equipment every climber bears and to choose the most challenging of the routes up the mountain – the Umbwe or ‘Whisky’ route.
Ryan’s trained for three months, working with a personal trainer six days a week. “I wore a 10kg training vest for these sessions and then trained in an altitude chamber at the High Performance gym for four weeks prior to departure which assists with the body’s adaption to high altitude,” he says. All this preparation paid off when Ryan reached Kilimanjaro and began his climb. The porters were concerned that he was carrying too much weight as even they are limited to 12kgs. Ryan was carrying nearly 30kgs. “Isaac, the lead guide, said no one had ever summited Kilimanjaro with all that weight, which gave me the idea of approaching the Guinness Book of World Records to see if my climb would be recognised.” Despite the odds, Ryan summited the mountain having raised R168 000 for Rainbows and Smiles and he was overwhelmed by the support from family, friends and strangers.
Ryan is delighted to have achieved his goal of summiting Kilimanjaro carrying Roan’s weight and having raised even more for Rainbows and Smiles than he had hoped. He is still waiting for feedback from Guinness World Records but a listing would certainly be the cherry on top of a successful trip.
SATIB Insurance Brokers will be donating 10% of the premiums of all new SATIB Life and Investment clients to Rainbows and Smiles for the remainder of 2013 so sign up today to support this worthy cause.
ABOUT SATIB
SATIB have pioneered insurance cover for the tourism and hospitality industry and continue to stay ahead through innovation and regular consultations with clients and insurance providers. Varied use of building materials (thatch, canvas and wood), exposure to the natural elements, remote locations, food and beverage nuances, adventure activities and operators of all shapes and sizes make for a colourful, but often misunderstood segment. Our intimate understanding of the industry allows us to provide exceptional products that are tailored for your needs.
