The late parents of a Lanarkshire woman were with her every step of the way, quite literally, when she made the remarkable climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, carrying their ashes.
After Stacey McCallum’s dad died suddenly in 2017 at the age of 57, followed only 13 months later by the passing of her 54-year-old mum, who had battled MS, she pledged to tackle the world’s highest, single, free-standing mountain above sea level in their memory.
Not only did she succeed only weeks ago in her quest to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro, which sits proudly at 5895 metres high, 19,341 feet above sea level, she also raised nearly £7500 for Guide Dogs – the charity that gave her inspirational friend a reason for living after he suddenly lost his sight.
Since Stacey was introduced to Scott Cunningham in the workplace around seven years ago, she has been full of admiration for the Larkhall man who was only 23 when his optic nerves died away, completely robbing him of his vision.
As his way of giving back to Guide Dogs, avid skier and marathon runner Scott, 51 – whose current companion, Lincoln, is his fourth guide dog – has raised tens of thousands for the charity.
Stacey, whose obsession with Mount Kilimanjaro was sparked by her love of the film, The Lion King, trekked with her group along moorland, Alpine desert and into the Arctic zone, through scenery she describes as “majestic.”
“At 5000 metres, me and my group started to feel sick,” she said. “The air was so thin. It was like trying to breathe through a straw. We were trekking through the night, battling the cold, the nausea, the shortness of breath and the tiredness.
"Some of us, including me, were hallucinating. I have no recollection at all of three hours of that. We were moving at a snail’s pace, but even that felt fast. It does funny things to your body. It was incredible.”
Describing the final push to the peak as almost vertical, like a cliff face, Stacey, 31, continued: “The guide set the pace. We left base camp at 11pm and reached the summit at 8.30am. It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced in my life. It was life-changing.”
The elation Stacey felt was ample reward for the gruelling seven months she trained in preparation, in stunning parts of Scotland she describes as “mind-blowing.”
The intensive training regime saw her making many sacrifices, including missing out on birthday and wedding celebrations.
“I had put so much of myself into this and standing on that summit made the last seven months completely worthwhile,” she said.
“It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, and I had to dig really deep. At no time, though, did I think I will give up here. If I needed to crawl, I’d crawl.
“Among the group, we had an ex-paratrooper who is so fit, it’s unreal. He goes for a 20-mile run before he goes to work every morning. He said it is, hands down, the hardest thing he was done in his life.”
Always at the forefront of her mind were her parents and charity, Guide Dogs – and the thought of the difference she was making to the visually impaired people whose lives are enriched by its work.
“My mum and dad literally went every step of the way with me, as I carried a small amount of their ashes with me to the summit, then scattered them on the way back down,” said Stacey, who has in the past six years raised an astonishing £15,000 for Cash for Kids, The Haven and the MS Society through her participation in various sporting challenges.
Having the opportunity to experience the culture of Tanzania is something that will forever live with Stacey, who was humbled to meet children during a visit to a local primary school the day before embarking on the climb.
“Seeing the conditions they are living in and comparing them to what we have in Scotland and in the UK is a real eye-opener,” she said.
“I do look at the world and at myself, and I’m more appreciative now. I will never take my shower, my washing machine, or even my toilet for granted again.”
Stacey’s feet are now firmly on the ground since she’s returned to home life in the South Lanarkshire hamlet of Climpy, near Forth, where she’s become something of a local celebrity.
“I have had a full village behind me, and that’s what got me to the top of that mountain,” said Stacey, who was sponsored by her employer, Anubis Security, who paid for her vaccinations, and South Lanarkshire family businesses, The Wee Farm Distillery and McKerr Fencing, who sponsored her specialist kit.
Now back at work, compliance officer and South Lanarkshire Leisure recreation assistant Stacey is looking forward to a life free of rigorous training, and the chance to catch up with family and friends – including Scott, who can’t thank her enough for the thousands she and her supporters have raised for Guide Dogs.
Next on the horizon for Stacey is bagging more munros and exploring more of Scotland by embarking on the North Coast 500.
Whichever challenges now lie in store for Stacey and her boundless energy, it’s unlikely that the self-funded adventure that took her from Climpy to Kilimanjaro will ever be surpassed.
“It is such a feat, you need to pinch yourself,” she said. “It has shown me that I have a greater mental strength than I ever thought I had.”
If you’d like to know more about Guide Dogs’ services, or how you can help make a difference by volunteering, fundraising, donating or campaigning, the charity would love to hear from you.
To contact the Hamilton-based team, email: Glasgow@guidedogs.org.uk or telephone 0345 1430206.
More information can be found at www.guidedogs.org.uk
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