By Ramadhani Kupaza
Environment & Development Consultant
+255784892338
Bart was an outdoor recreation planner in the USA.
He once decided to visit Tanzania as a tourist to stretch his physical being to its limits in order to boost his confidence about the state of his health.
Bart decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to the summit, and he did it successfully despite having only one kidney.
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro successfully is an admirable achievement for anyone since it is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising 5,895 metres above the surrounding plains.
The achievement of reaching the summit was Bart’s mental and personal growth from a position of doubt to a position of confidence with regard to his health.
Bart Young experienced that climbing the mountain was a test of every part of his body, and not just a test of living without one kidney.
He constantly asked himself why he was climbing as he endured pain with every step of the ascent.
He occasionally thought of stopping the climb. However, he resolved that such a decision would be against his original purpose for climbing the mountain.
After many deliberations in his mind about whether to continue or discontinue climbing, his mental endurance prevailed over the physical pain.
Meanwhile, Bart learned that the climbing exercise challenged every climber, except the experienced porters who carried the climbers’ luggage for use along the route and at the camps.
Bart’s comparative observations of the performance of other climbers during the journey became another sign of his mental and personal growth. He found reassurance that he could continue to enjoy life just like the other climbers without fear, despite living with only one kidney.
