Newlife supporter Carol Eland, from Carlisle in Cumbria, is pulling on her walking boots and tackling the gruelling challenge of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money to help disabled and terminally ill children supported by the charity.

Carol will be heading off to Tanzania in Africa on March 14 for the seven-day challenge, which is believed to be the first all-women trek to the summit of the 5,895 metre highpeak.

Carol – who is a member of the pastoral care team at Workington Sixth Form Centre – said: “I made some pretty life-changing decisions in 2012 and wanted to do something big to mark the occasion – so I signed up for this trek. Although I have lived in Carlisle for 26 years and had often been out walking around the Lake District, I had never tackled any of the serious hills until I decided last August to take on this challenge. Since then I have been out walking at every opportunity, testing myself on the likes of Skiddaw and Helvellyn.”

She added: “I recognise that I don’t know how altitude sickness will affect me, but I will be doing the best that I can every day of the trek, tackling the challenge head on.”

Because she is funding the trip herself, all of the sponsorship money from this challenge will come directly to Newlife, and Carol has set herself a target of £2,000. She donated £1,311 to Newlife during 2012.

If you would like to support Carol, go to her Just Giving site: www.justgiving.com/caroleland  Or you can text donations of between £1 and £10 – e.g. elan99£5 – to 70070.

Pictured: Carol in training on the Lakeland Fells

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