Conquering Kilimanjaro for THF

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Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free standing mountain in the world. By free-standing, I mean it is not part of a mountain range.

The summit on Mount Kilimanjaro is called Uhuru Peak and stands at 5,895m or 19,341 feet. To put this in perspective, Mount Everest, stands at 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) – just over 2,950 meters higher.

What could be a more perfect challenge for USANA Associate, Danny Fontaine, who was inspired to raise money for the Foundation by inviting his friends to join him on a life changing expedition?

In Danny’s words

“When my friend Oliver and I first decided to do the Kilimanjaro project, we thought that it would be a good opportunity to build our confidence. Most of our friends that committed to the trip were struggling financially, and we thus took the opportunity to motivate each other in the year we were preparing for it. We got creative and made the most of our individual talents, staying inspired by the thought that 100% of what we raised would go to people in need through the USANA True Health Foundation.

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I put on two concerts where I sang and also took some time to educate my audience on the THF’s work. Through this education, we managed to secure more donations for the Foundation, and hopefully acquire champions as well. It wasn’t always easy, but staying focused on the goal helped us power through.

Physical preparation

To prepare physically, we climbed small mountains in Quebec, Canada. We focused on getting to know each other because we wanted to feel like a team on our final climb. Most of the members of our group were from around Quebec City, but one of us, Rejean, was from Montreal. We had to be committed to meet despite the distance. Rejean was always there on time and motivating the group.

The climb

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We began climbing on the 3rd of August under the guidance of devoted Tanzanian guides. The higher we climbed, the more we learnt about each other through conversations that spanned an array of topics.

Climbing the Kilimanjaro was a spiritual experience. Being above the clouds almost every morning, coupled with the stunning views of nature all around us, I often found myself in tears.

Watching the group share, bond and live in the moment brought me so much joy as I thought back on the tough road that had gotten us here, and how I had led this group to this point.  We all felt connected and felt the presence of God on the mountain. That was the most emotional moment for me- right before the summit.

Once we reached our goal, we couldn’t help but feel incredibly thankful for all the support we had received on this journey.  On August 8th, we felt unstoppable, powerful and unshakable- feelings that we will continue to apply in our day-to-day lives. We raised $1,850 for the Foundation, which will provide 7400 meals for people in need.

I now hope to inspire other Usana independent associates to challenge themselves and get creative in raising money for the foundation.

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Remember, 100 percent of all donations made to the USANA True Health Foundation ALWAYS go toward changing lives across the world.

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