Local landscape provides perfect setting for health-kick which also benefits Zambian orphanage…
Chipo Lawlor set himself a personal challenge when he made a spur of the moment decision to take on climbing mountains after being diagnosed with a heart condition.
In addition to working towards improving his health, Chipo has been raising vital funds for an orphanage in Africa.
Having taken on a ‘peak a week’ as part of his recent training regime, Chipo will tackle the full length of the Mourne Wall this weekend, following the historic landmark which crosses several of the local mountain range’s highest summits.
Recalling the motivations for this self-imposed challenge, Chipo said: “I was diagnosed with a couple of heart problems.
“It was a wee bit of a shock to get that diagnosis. For a wee bit afterwards, I was kind of feeling sorry for myself. Then I thought it was better if I do something about it rather than hang my head. So, I started trying to get fitter.”
He decided walking was the first step towards improving his health.
“After I got the diagnosis of my heart condition, I thought at my age I might not be able to go up Slieve Donard again so I thought I would give it a go.”
But as soon as he started training for that, he got the urge to expand the challenge.
“I thought that if I tried to raise a bit of money for a charity in Zambia called Every Orphan’s Hope that would be great,” the local man continued.
So, he came up with an idea to set himself a weekly challenge which would see him trying to conquer one peak every week.
“What happened was I was telling someone about trying to do the Mourne Wall.
“To get myself fitter I was trying to do a peak a week. They had a laugh at me because of the way I was saying ‘a peak a week’, and so I thought that was a good idea for the name for the challenge,” he explained.
With the challenge to climb a peak every week in preparation for a full-length walk of the Mourne Wall, Chipo also set up a fundraising page on CrowdFunder, where people could donate.
He also made a series of Tik Tok videos, charting his exploits, and posted about which mountain he would climb, whilst encouraging people to donate.
The reason why he raised money for the ‘Every Orphan’s Hope’ charity is down to a personal connection he has with the place. Chipo spent four years in Zambia, living in Lusaka and working in orphanages.
“I really enjoyed my time out there,” he said.
“I was working in the orphanages doing all kinds of stuff. Teaching the kids, playing football, fixing stuff around the houses. Anything I could do to help.
“I have been in contact with most of those guys from there since.”
Chipo said that fundraising is going well.
So far almost £750 has been donated, and he hopes to raise more.
“People have been encouraging and the fundraising is going okay. The target is as much as possible.”
He added that the reaction from people he knows about the challenge has been one of surprise.
“The people I work with have been shocked. They thought I just sat around all the time. When they found out I was walking up mountains at the weekend they got a bit of a different perspective on me.”
Chipo explained that he had never considered climbing the mountains before.
“It is all new to me. I think I did a few of them when I was younger. But not since then.”
He has noticed a lot of benefits from the walking.
“It has improved my health,” he said, adding that spending time in the mountains has been beneficial in more ways than one, and that he enjoys “just being up there in that environment, enjoying the peace and quiet is great.”
After ten weeks he has completed 18 mountains – Bearnagh, Binnian, Sieve Donard, Commedagh, Meelmore, Slieve Muck, Meelbeg, Slieve Lamagan, Doan, Ben Crom, Slieve Loughshannagh, Butter Mountain, Finlieve, Shanlieve, Eagle, Hen, Cock and Pigeon Rock.
“One or two have been difficult,” he admitted.
“Donard was difficult I could barely move my legs after it.
“I thought Lamagan was the toughest.”
And, Chipo is pleased to report that, fortunately, his condition has not had any adverse impact on his climbing schedule.
For more information on how to donate see Crowdfunder, ‘A peak a week part 3’.