‘Inspirational’ 73-year-old climbs Mount Kenya for global sailing charity

A determined fundraiser from Richmond, Surrey, has battled the elements to climb Mount Kenya and raise £3,000 in aid of the Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST).

Graham Strudwick, aged 73, started climbing for the first time aged 68 and found he had a natural flair for it, so decided to raise funds for the sailing charity by doing just that.

An avid sailor and chair of the JST’s London branch, Strudwick has devoted a large portion of his life to the charity that gives people of mixed abilities and circumstances the opportunity to explore their potential through inclusive adventures at sea. He has taken part in 17 voyages over the last 21 years – trips that have totalled 15,700 miles and 30 weeks at sea.

After growing up in Africa as a child, and visiting regularly for work over the years, Strudwick still refers to the continent as “home”, so Mount Kenya became the obvious choice for his fundraising climb.

Strudwick flew to Nanyuki, Kenya, with friend and fellow climber, Roger, during Storm Eunice. After a turbulent flight and once the men had been briefed by a guide and had undergone essential medical checks, the group embarked on the strenuous climb.

By day four, approaching 15,000ft, the weather began to deteriorate rapidly and the temperature plummeted to -6 degrees, and lashings of sleet and fierce winds hit the mountain.

“We carried on regardless and made it to the third highest peak, Lenana at 16,354ft,” says Strudwick. “It was a consistently steep climb, which included traversing a snow field using ice axes, but it was joyous to finally reach the summit and stand to look out at the rest of the ranges below us.”

It was after Lenana that Strudwick’s journey was cut short. His heart – affected by the altitude – began to become strained and so, after taking medical advice, he chose to stay behind while the group went on ahead to the second highest peak, Nelion.

“Roger made the second peak, Nelion at 17,021ft, but he decided that the final peak, Batian, was a peak too far,” continues Strudwick. “The key issue for both of us was the extremely low levels of oxygen at the altitude we were climbing at.

“Regardless, it was an amazing experience for many reasons. The support team were fantastic, and our guide was a fountain of knowledge when it came to the mountains, our health and safety, as well as the flora and fauna.

“Doing this challenge for the Jubilee Sailing Trust has filled me with a huge sense of pride. Those onboard the charity’s flagship Tenacious, are encouraged to push themselves to achieve things they may never have thought possible, and I thought that taking part in this climb fit the brief perfectly.

“Some of my favourite memories have been of witnessing the positive changes I’ve seen in people over the years. Their self-belief after experiencing time on the ship, is wonderful to see. It’s truly inspirational.”

Money raised from the climb will go directly to the sailing charity’s ‘Pulling Together’ appeal, a rolling appeal designed to help maintain a funding flow for Tenacious’ maintenance, repairs and improvements.

Patrick Fleming, CEO of the Jubilee Sailing Trust, says: “Graham is an inspiration to us all. Not only did he show true bravery, grit and determination, he did it all for our beloved charity.

“Without people like Graham, the Jubilee Sailing Trust could not be where it is today and for that we are extremely grateful. We would like to give Graham and Roger our heartfelt thanks and look forward to seeing what adventures they get up to in the future!”