Summit Before Santa!

Day 1 done!

Tuesday 25th Nov Share

We're Almost There!

Wednesday 19th Nov

Honestly, I'm stunned. We've hit $422 in donations and Summit Before Santa doesn't even start until November 25th. That's over 20% of our $2,000 goal before I've climbed a single metre.

I've been out testing routes and getting my legs ready, and discovered something interesting: my Samsung Health and my training buddy's Garmin are giving wildly different elevation readings. On one walk, her device showed 197m while mine recorded 161m. That's a 36m difference in just over 6km!

Over the course of 5,895m, those discrepancies could really add up. I'm sticking with Samsung Health for consistency (and because, well, Garmins = $$ I don't have!!), but it's made me wonder how many of you track your fitness. What devices do you use? Do you trust the numbers they give you?

The stairmaster sessions will be more reliable since they're mechanical rather than GPS-based, so at least I've got that going for me.

Less than a week to go. The Christensen Street hills are waiting. Planet Fitness stairmasters are ready. And your support is already making this real.

Fraser Coast Hospice, here we come.

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Week 1 schedule sorted!

Wednesday 12th Nov For anyone who's keen to join me Share

Why I'm Climbing a Mountain in 'the Flattest Place in Queensland'

Tuesday 11th Nov

Hervey Bay isn't exactly known for its alpine terrain. But this December, I'm attempting to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro anyway.

The catch? I'll be doing it entirely through stairmasters, hill repeats, and step-ups, accumulating 5,895 metres of elevation before Santa arrives on December 25th. It's ambitious, it's a bit ridiculous, and it's going to be hot, sweaty work in the Queensland summer heat.

But here's why I'm doing it.

This year, Fraser Coast Hospice has really captured my heart. The work they do providing compassionate end-of-life care and support to people in our community is extraordinary. They walk alongside families during the hardest moments, offering dignity, comfort, and genuine care when it matters most.

I wanted to challenge myself this Christmas, and I wanted it to count for something bigger. So here we are: one Hervey Bay local, one very tall mountain, and a whole lot of determination.

The hospice is launching their new Funraisin platform, and I'm testing it out by being possibly the first person daft enough to climb Kilimanjaro (via Planet Fitness and the mean streets of Hervey Bay). If this challenge inspires even one other person to start their own fundraising effort, or helps the hospice continue their incredible work, then every step will be worth it.

Thanks for being part of this journey. Let's summit before Santa!

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