'It's conquering the mountain, and I think the mountain is us': 24 Ontario women set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro
Since August 2022, a group of 24 women has been training — rain, sleet or shine — for the trip of a lifetime.
“The training has been intense. We go out in all weather — rain pants, toques, mitts, freezing rain, sleet, snow. The only thing that will stop us? Tornadoes,” Paula Johnston told CTV News Toronto.
The women — who range in age from 40 to 64 — will be climbing Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro in September.
“It’s almost like a metaphor. It’s conquering the mountain, and I think the mountain is us,” Mary Nacarato said.
The trip was conceived of by friends Antoinetta Botticelli and Dawn Donaldson. The fitness instructor and registered nurse had already undertaken two adventure races before, in Morocco and Senegal.
“It was life changing. It was fantastic,” Donaldson said.
Botticelli and Donaldson felt their treks were so transformational that they wanted to share their experiences with others.
The two organizers of the trip. (Supplied)
“On our way home [from Senegal] I said to Dawn —‘Hey, wouldn’t it be kind of cool if we did a woman-empowering trek?’”
The duo decided Mount Kilimanjaro would be the scene of their next adventure, and last August, they advertised the trip on social media.
“And you know, four minutes later, 24 people signed up,” Botticelli said.
The pair said they originally thought they’d be lucky to see eight people respond, and were amazed by the response.
“I said holy cow,” Donaldson said. “It was remarkable. It’s remarkable.”
Since then, all the women going on the trip have been training — up to five times a week — a testament to their commitment to this journey.
Some of the group headed to Mount Kilimanjaro in the next 100 days. (Supplied)
“I just like to challenge myself, and there’s a great group of people going, so I have people to do things with,” Terri-Lynn Bohnert said.
Catti Rodriguez says her friend, Nacarato, convinced her to undertake this test of strength and will.
“I’m nervous. I’m excited. I’m apprehensive, but I’m looking forward to it with these great ladies,” she said.
The women say — working together toward a common goal has been inspiring.
“The sisterhood that’s been developed in the past year is incredible,” Botticelli said.
Donaldson and Botticelli are under no illusion that this will be an easy trip. And yet — they say they know they can all accomplish the climb.
“We could go tomorrow. Yeah, we’re mentally there. And the best thing is — knowing that we’re doing it together, which is the greatest thing ever,” Botticelli said.
For Donaldson, she says having 23 other women with her will help spur her on.
“We know you’re looking terrible. We know you feel awful. But we’re so going to do this, and it’s one foot in front of the other, and we’re going to get to the top,” she said.
With 100 days to go, these women are already forging friendships, and creating memories, for a trip they will never forget.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.