Martina Navratilova to climb Kilimanjaro following cancer treatment

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, has revealed full details of her plans to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in East Africa to raise funds for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Martina, who finished radiotherapy treatment last week following breast cancer, will lead a group of 28 climbers, including Deshun Deysul, South Africa’s greatest female mountaineer, German Paralympic cyclist Michael Teuber and British mountaineer Annabelle Bond, up the 5,895 metres (19,341 feet) mountain in December.

Martina also announced the creation of a specific website page where donations can be made to help her with her fund-raising goal – http://www.laureus.com/get-involved/mount-kilimanjaro-climb

She said: “Climbing Mt.Kilimanjaro is part of the approved treatment. Scaling new heights while battling cancer. Basically I’m cancer free now and you’re encouraged to be very active during radiation and after radiation. The more in good shape you are, the better you will deal with the treatment and also of course hopefully will keep it from coming back. And so it’s life as usual.

“I planned on climbing Mt.Kilimanjaro when Laureus approached me early in the year, and those plans haven’t changed and I’m gonna get up there and hopefully get to the top in December.

“It may prove to be too much, who knows. Not because of my age or because of the cancer but you never know how you’re going to deal with the altitude until you get there. I think the highest I’ve ever been is about 12,000 feet, so this will be another 7,000 feet higher. We’ll see how the body reacts. But I’ll definitely do my training beforehand. Whatever I’m supposed to do, I will do.”

Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “This is a remarkable undertaking by a remarkable woman. Her whole life has been an expression of determination, both in her sports career and away from it. I suppose we should not be surprised after her health problems this year that she is not prepared to compromise and is getting on with her life, and doing what she does so marvellously well, giving her whole-hearted support to the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.”