Albrighton florist climbs Kilimanjaro in memory of beloved mum

Sarah Glynn, who runs Petals by Sarah Louise, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the charity after losing mum, Kathryn to the disease.

"I lost my mum to neuroendocrine cancer ten years ago, which is a rare form," said Sarah. "It was six months from diagnosis to when she passed away.

"She always looked on the bright side of life and, although it can be hard, sometimes you have to look for positives.

"So ever since, I have been raising money and working voluntarily for Cancer Research and that has been a way of doing something positive.

"It has given me a way of doing something in her memory and, preparing for this challenge, also provided me with the health benefits from training."

Sarah took on the challenge with the support of Ultra Adventures and admits it was tough, particularly coping with the altitude.

"We were encouraged to drink three or four litres of water a day,," she said. "We climbed for five days, walking for between six and ten hours each day and camping at a different place each time, getting use to the altitude.

"That (the altitude) was the hardest thing. My legs were fine but it was the oxygen. Even half way through the first trek, my head was pounding due to the changes in altitude.

"It was hard to breathe at times and I even had nose bleeds at one point."

Sarah said, near to the summit – with about an hour left to travel – she nearly gave up but was inspired by the team she trekked with.

"I wasn't sure I had enough in me to push to the summit near the end but managed to do so.

"I was with a fantastic group. They all had their own stories for being there – cancer survivors or people, like me, who had lost someone to the disease.

"You have these total strangers who become friends for life, having lots of laughter and sharing the experience. They motivated me to get to the top, hearing whoops and cheers from those who had made it before me."

Sarah said the journey was emotional and rewarding, despite the challenges.

"It was both horrendous and amazing at the same time," she said. "I never thought I'd use those two words in the same sentence!

"For how tough it was, it was also very special, camping above the clouds and reaching the summit.

"On the day we started, it was actually my mum's birthday. She would have been 75 and so it felt like it was meant to be for me to do that walk.

"It made it more emotional thinking about it and my mum was always on my mind. Between the whole group, we have raised £250,000 so it makes me proud and unbelievably emotional. To be part of something like that is incredible."

Sarah can still be sponsored, by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sarah-glynn8