It’s the climb
AUCKLAND PARK - Amanda Louw will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in October for Breast Cancer Awareness with 14 other women from the Breast Health Foundation's newest campaign, Pink Peaks.
The Westdene resident practised radiography for 13 years and then started training mammographers at the Department of Radiology at the University of Johannesburg. Mammography falls under the category of radiology but it is even more specialised because it deals directly with breast health.
The 52-year-old mother and lecturer said, “I wanted to do something extraordinary and going to Kenya to climb this mountain is a big challenge. You can equate it to what women go through when dealing with breast cancer.”
Each week until her 9 October departure Louw goes through rigorous functional training at the UJ Gymnasium with sports scientist Leandri de Beer.
“Anyone can do this type of training. I assessed her aerobic levels and then adapted a programme to her specific strengths and weaknesses to get her up to capacity,” said De Beer on how to prepare for such a big feat. “I think it’s great that Louw is doing this, I would advise everyone that if you have a goal, go for it.”
Louw is also going through mental toughness training which helps strengthen her concentration.
“Physically I’m confident. The challenge is going to be psychological. The unknown, the cold, also taking on a real challenge when you don’t know your teammates that well, but the training I do makes you believe in your own ability so that nothing can break you out of your focus.”
When asked how climbing Kilimanjaro would further the cause of breast health education, Amanda put it quite frankly that the hike itself would show that you are never too old to enjoy life. But for Pink Peaks, it is the exposure it will give breast health awareness that is important.
“It’s not actually climbing Kilimanjaro that will help, it is the media opportunities that it brings. Someone is going to read it and someone is going to hear about it on the radio and every time that happens then it is worth it,” she explained.
“The climb is just the vehicle to help us raise funds because for me, it is a crime that we allow women to suffer so much because they don’t have the education or rather the means to the knowledge. Breast health is part of being a woman so I am very motivated to do to this to raise awareness.”
Pink Peaks start climbing on 10 October and should summit on the 15th. After two days descent the woman are off to the white sand beaches of Zanzibar for a well-needed relaxation.
“It is going to be difficult, but like breast cancer, we can overcome it.”
Details: Pink Peaks pinkpeaks.co.za
