A Torfaen woman has completed an extraordinary challenge in memory of her parents and to raise money for the area’s District Nurses.
Dawn Rogers, 52, reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro last month. Standing at 5,895m above sea level, it is the world’s highest free‑standing mountain and the tallest peak in Africa.
Her father, John, died nine years ago, and Dawn has fond memories of walking with him along Mynydd Maen. Her mother, Christine, was cared for at home by District Nurses from Aneurin Bevan University Health Board before she passed away in July last year.
Solo-adventure
Dawn booked the trip on impulse and kept it to herself for a few days – even checking her emails the next morning to make sure she really had signed up. She told Cwmbran Life she never imagined she would have the confidence to travel alone and do a solo-adventure.
“I may not have the health or opportunity if I kept waiting, with life passing me by,” she said. “It was healing for my inner self. I was determined to get to the top. It was such an emotional health and mental well-being trip.”
During the climb, Dawn discovered handwritten notes from her family and friends hidden in her rucksack – small messages of encouragement that helped her through the toughest moments.
Meeting the rest of the group who were climbing the mountain initially left her feeling like an “imposter”, as many had completed major challenges before. But she soon bonded with them and brought an essential ingredient: “giggles”.
“Within a couple of days, I made their trip more memorable with the giggles I gave them. I was definitely the team morale support and got them motivated,” she said.
‘Dignity’
Dawn chose to raise money for the District Nurses in recognition of the “dignity” they gave her mum in her final days and the way they “treated us as a family”.
“All I did was climb a mountain for the remarkable work they do in the community,” she said. “Hopefully not everyone will need access to them, but it’s so important to know what they do to support people’s last wishes at home or during short‑term illness.”
On her fundraising page, she writes: “My father instilled in me from a young age the passion for mountains. For the past nine years, I’ve climbed a small summit on the anniversary of his passing, each one a quiet tribute to him.
“My mother, however, is the true inspiration behind this fundraising. In her final weeks, our local District Nurses showed her the kind of compassion, dignity and gentle care that words can’t fully express.”
Sponsor Dawn and support the district nurses
You can still support Dawn’s fundraisers through her GoFundMe link.