What some people will do for their relatives
FLORIDA — Hiking to the nearly 20,000-foot high summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro was never on Florida, N.Y., resident Yvonne Vandenberg’s bucket list.
But when her 62-year-old aunt from Holland, Yvonne Reneman, expressed her lifelong desire to conquer the feat, she knew she couldn’t let her beloved aunt down.
Vandenberg’s aunt had traveled the world with her husband and during a trip to Africa in the 90’s, he promised that he would make sure she would make it to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro one day.
However, her husband passed away before they could fulfill that dream.
Reneman asked Vandenberg to join the journey in April 2014, but it wasn’t until October that the idea became a reality.
TrainingThe duo booked a guided trip to the highest mountain in Africa through a company called Mountain Network. They would arrive for orientation on Feb. 1.
Vandenberg knew she would need to follow an extensive training schedule, which is why she turned to Minerals Sports Club in Vernon, N.J., and found personal trainer Barbara Matchett.
“Barbara was key in making sure I was going to make it to the top,” said Vandenberg.
The focus was simple: Get up that mountain.
Throughout the fall, Vandenberg and Matchett met three times a week to work on strength training, balance and building core muscles.
In January, Vandenberg bumped up her training to make it a daily routine.
“In addition to working on her endurance, I knew she’d have to have a lot of mental stamina,” Matchett said. “A lot of positive reinforcement was key.”
By the time the departure date rolled around, Vandenberg felt confident that she was physically ready.
But would she be mentally tough enough to be a part of the 40 percent of hikers who complete the task?
Hiking for six-to-eight hours a day
Vandenberg and her aunt were part of a group of 12 hikers, four of whom were marathon runners. Vandenberg admitted she had some butterflies after her arrival for orientation on Feb. 1, but noted that she woke up on Feb. 3, the official start date of their journey, “calm, cool and collected.”
“At that point, that’s what you signed up to do," Vandenberg said. "That’s what you trained for.”
The group typically hiked six to eight hours a day, carrying a 20-pound pack at all times.
It would be eight days of battling the elements and conquering the treacherous terrain before the group would reach the summit at Stella Point at 7:12 a.m. on Feb. 9.
The group only got a few hours of sleep before they all awoke at 11 p.m. the night of the 8th to have a “breakfast” and start hiking for the summit by 11:58 p.m.
At the summitAlthough Vandenberg and her aunt were traveling with four marathon runners, no one in the group had it any easier on summit day. She made sure to hike next to her aunt and continued to encourage her until they reached the top together.
“I knew it was a big day for her, but also knew it was going to be a challenge,” said Vandenberg. “The whole time I kept saying you can do this, take 10 more steps and we’ll take a break.”
Vandenberg wasn’t even sure if her aunt could hear her positive reinforcement, but after they reached the summit Vandenberg discovered her words were what helped keep her aunt from quitting.
Upon reaching the summit, Vandenberg approached Reneman, who was sitting under the elevation sign, put her hand on her shoulder, and said, “You’re here. You did it.”
At that point, the magnitude of what they set out to accomplish finally registered with Vandenberg.
“Every single day she was climbing, I was thinking of what she was up against. When she sent me the picture of her at the top, I was overjoyed,” said Matchett. “I knew she’d make it but seeing her standing there with a big grin on her face was the best.”
The group took in the majestic views and picture-perfect weather from atop the mountain for about 20 minutes before scaling back down.
What's nextNow that Vandenberg has returned home, she is excited to say that she is more proud to display the certificate she received in recognition of completing the hike than any other diploma or award she’s earned in her life because this journey was an unexpected one for her.
Although it may seem tough to top this adventure, Vandenberg said she is challenging herself yet again by signing up for a 10K in New York City to support one of the fellow hikers from the trip who is running a marathon this year.
Vandenberg admits she is not an endurance runner, but she will be back to a training regiment at Minerals Sports Club on April 1.
Editor's note: This article and three of the four photographs were provided by Lauren Scrudato, the manager of social media and public relations at Crystal Springs & Mountain Creek Resorts.