What Inspires You
By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD
Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice.
I am writing the beginning of this newsletter as I sit on a plane headed to destination Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa. While you are reading this newsletter, Kevin and I will most likely be starting our climb to the near 20,000 foot peak of Mt Kilimanjaro. It’s something that we have both talked about doing for a long time and we are finally doing it. Hard to believe how an idea can turn into a plan and finally become an actionable moment. For us, it has become a father-son dream to challenge ourselves both mentally and physically.
Our journey actually started over 6 months ago when a dream turned into reality. We researched and interviewed multiple trekking companies and we chose Climbing Kilimanjaro . They have been excellent so far and we are glad we chose them!
From there, we picked our travel dates after coordinating with Climbing Kilimanjaro and we booked our flights.
Now the hard part began, which was formulating a training plan and executing it. Behind every good plan you must have motivation and determination to see it through. Kevin and I chose a plan where we would train together as much as possible. We would go on walks almost everyday and carry weighted backpacks to increase our strength and stamina. We walked on an inclined treadmill to mimic walking up steep hills and did strength training when possible. All this to condition ourselves for the eventual 8 day hike up to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro and back down again. And we did as much of this training as we could together to keep ourselves disciplined and motivated.
Our last piece of the puzzle was gathering all the essentials that we would need to successfully climb this mountain. During our 8 day trek, we will pass through four temperate zones ranging from tropical rainforest conditions near the base of the mountain to freezing snow covered arctic conditions at the top. We will need both warm weather as well as cold weather clothing and everything in between because temperatures can vary from 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the rainforest to temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit at the summit. We will be sleeping on the ground each night in tents but need sleeping bags to help keep us warm during the cold nights. The terrain and conditions that we will encounter will be harsh and thus good waterproof hiking boots are essential as well as other accessories like trekking poles, a backpack with built in hydration system, hats, gloves, waterproof jackets and pants, sunglasses, sun protectant, a urinal to pee in at night so we don’t have to leave our tents to go out into the cold nighttime conditions and the list goes on. You need to be prepared for the worst.
Lastly, we needed to gather a number of medications including antimalarial, antidiarrheal, anti inflammatory and medication to help combat high altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS). High altitude sickness can cause headaches and fatigue but when severe can lead to Pulmonary edema, Brain swelling and even death. All risks that need to be taken very seriously.
So here we are 6 months later on our way to Tanzania, Africa to start the adventure of a lifetime. Hard to believe that we took our dream and turned it into a plan and with much determination and motivation, we are now on our way to climb the tallest free standing mountain in the world. We left for Africa on September 6th from Detroit airport. Our travel included an 8 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany then an hour or so flight to Zurich, Switzerland and finally another 8 hour flight to reach Mt Kilimanjaro airport. We arrived late Saturday evening and rested there Saturday night and Sunday. We also explored the town on Sunday and did our pre-climb briefing with our head guide, Peter. It is now Sunday evening and our trek up the mountain will begin tomorrow, Monday, September 9. If you are reading this, then we are probably already on the mountain pursuing our dream!
So for everyone taking the time to read this newsletter, thank you! I wanted this newsletter to be both informative but also inspirational. I firmly believe that you can achieve your dreams if you set your mind to it and stay determined and motivated to see it through. Take that idea whatever it may be and formulate a plan of action. Push any doubt to the side, take a chance, stay determined and please don’t give up despite what others may say or think. It’s your dream, not theirs. See you at the summit. You can follow our journey to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro as we will be posting on social media as much as is possible.
Our goal is to raise money for SameYou and Tanzania Health and Medical Education Foundation (TAHMEF). We would love if you would share our social media videos about these amazing charities and our fundraising page to raise awareness about these wonderful organizations and help raise money from them. You can do so here .
SameYou is a brain injury recovery charity that works to develop better mental health recovery treatment for survivors, raises awareness and advocates for change. TAHMEF is a charity focused on providing medical access and education for people in Tanzania who would not otherwise have access to these vital resources.
Impactful Quote of the Week
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
- Robert Frost, The Poetry of Robert Frost
Best wishes,
Brian Hoeflinger
