I’m 50 years old, a mother and wife, and I work in the NHS in a non-clinical Public Health role, which is mainly desk-based. Outside of work, I enjoy walking my dogs, spending time in nature and going to the gym when I can. Before I did my first trip with DA, I definitely spent less time outdoors than I do now, and training for my first challenge helped me find my love for walking and nature. Now, I really enjoy the challenge of reaching a summit, but I don’t often get out on the hills. People would say that I am an adventurous person by nature, but I don’t see that. I’m just a normal person with a normal family life doing normal things.

My story I suppose started a couple of days before Christmas in 2011 when I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer completely out of the blue with no family history or risk factors. I underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Fast forward to 2019, when I was starting to think how I would like to mark getting to the 10-year cancer-free point in my life (assuming that things stayed the same), and I started having wild dreams of doing something really out of character and challenging to raise money for Breast Cancer Now.

Over the next year, dreams of climbing Kilimanjaro became more and more like an obsession, and after a bit of research with various charities, I signed up with DA for a challenge in September 2021, just before my 10 years would be up. As fate would have it, the Covid Pandemic got in the way, and I didn’t do Kili until February 2022. Which coincidentally was a month after I was discharged from my Breast care team, so it seemed even more poignant. When I signed up for Kili, I had never camped out in my life; I was a wash your hair and shower everyday girl, and, more importantly, I had never climbed a mountain. So, this was always going to be a mammoth challenge for me in more ways than one. I did, on the lead-up to the challenge, climb hills and Scottish Munros as part of my training, but not that many, and my first night in a tent was in Kili. Most of my training, if I am honest, was done in a gym, with some general walking at weekends.

My time on the Mountain was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The people on the trip from the UK were just the best; some are now really close friends. The DA team, both from the UK and in Tanzania, went above and beyond at every point, and I can honestly say that without them, I wouldn’t have summited.

Immediately after I came back, I wanted to do something else, and Everest Base Camp seemed the most likely option, so I started looking into that. Unfortunately, though, just 5 months after I returned, we discovered that not only had my cancer returned as stage 4 in both my brain and lung, but it was also very likely that it was there when I was climbing Kili. That obviously put everything up in the air, and I was sure that I would never be able to do anything similar again. I was gutted. However, in October 2023, a year after a successful partial lung resection and craniotomy to remove both my tumours, I asked my oncologist if she thought I could ever do a high altitude challenge again. She didn’t see why not if I remained stable and well so we skirted around maybe doing something in a year or so. But once I get an idea in my head, there is no stopping me. So, after clear scans in January 2024, I booked to go to Nepal to trek to Everest Base Camp just 7 weeks later - With DA, of course!

I had kept myself reasonably fit throughout my cancer treatment by walking, but I was nowhere near as fit as I was before Kili, so I had to try and up the ante with only 7 weeks to go and ongoing treatment. One of my Kili friends, Susie, was already going too, so I would have regretted not doing it then with her if something health-wise was to stop me later. I still remember Susie having hysterics when I told her I was coming with her! I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I found the trip harder than Kili (apart from Kili summit night!!), but again, I loved every single minute of it. And getting to the Base Camp Rock was even more emotional than Ururu Peak, which is really saying something. Again, the others on the challenge and the Nepalese guides and porters were absolutely amazing.

My "why" has grown over the two challenges I have done. Initially, for Kili, it was to get something good out of something awful, to give getting cancer a reason and to have something positive out of it. Then, after my secondary diagnosis, the latter is still true, but in addition, it's so that I can prove that I am still me and that cancer will not define who I am and what I do. My story is not over. I often say that if I hadn’t /didn’t have cancer, I would never be doing these high altitude adventures and that it has made me into the person that I am and that I am proud of what I achieved.

I would love to do Machu Picchu, Mount Toubkal or Petra in Jordan next, and hopefully, I will manage one in 2025.

Assuming my cancer remains stable, I’ve still got more challenges in me.

I’m stronger and way more determined (some might say stubborn) and resilient than I ever thought that I was. I’m learning to live my life how I want to and do what I want, not what other people think I should do. I am way more independent and willing to step out of my comfort zone than I was 4 years ago when planning my first challenge.

I am also learning about other cultures, countries and nature when on these trips, and I am loving this. The extensions and “other” bits of the trips are also amazing and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I never assumed I would do. Spending time on Safari in Tanzania (seeing 5 of the big 6 in their natural habitats), and experiencing the sites, smells and noises of Kathmandu are memories that will be with me for the rest of my life.

Aileen's Preparation Tips:

Training is hard to fit in sometimes, but if you put your mind to it, you can do it. I didn’t do lots of walking initially for Kili but I did do types of training that I enjoyed at the gym and got myself outside at the weekends either for a flat walk or up a hill if I could. It was hard at first, but now I love being outdoors!

Training for EBC was harder for obvious reasons, but grit and determination made me get out and just walk. I only had 7 weeks, so I just did what I could, as I didn’t want to injure myself by doing too much. It's easier to train when you have something to train and aim for.

Preparation in terms of kit was quite overwhelming for Kili, but DA gave a great list to follow. Don’t leave it too late to get your kit as its really useful to wear it whilst training so you can see how it works. I used the same kit for both Kili and EBC, so it helps from a finance perspective.

Aileen's Biggest Lesson: 

I can do anything that I set my mind to. Sometimes, I might need a rest and reset, but with the right training, guidance, support and encouragement, I can do things I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I could do.

Also, don’t listen to people who don’t have experience and say that you can’t just because they couldn’t!

Aileen's Message for you: 

Go for it!!

Do your research, work out what and why you want to do something and what will it take to get you there. Make a plan and stick to it, even when it doesn’t seem to be going right, and work through the issues. Perseverance will get you there in the end.

Also, if you have any medical concerns, speak to your GP, specialists and DA first, but try to anticipate the questions they will ask and do the research to answer them.