Deaf swimmer climbs Kilimanjaro

A local team set off for Mount Kilimanjaro on 3 October. Months of training and planning were about to come to fruition.

Terence Parkin and David Batzonfin did something many may never dare to do.

At 5 895 metres tall, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world.

In 1889, the first successful summit of Mount Kilimanjaro was completed by German geographer Hans Meyer after six weeks of climbing.

This first deaf swimmer to stand on the Uhuru Peak and his team took only seven days.

“It was an interesting climb. There was no need to talk because the landscape on the mountain is spectacular. Terrence was having a good time, his hands kept going up in admiration,” said David Batzonfin.

This climb was anything but ordinary. It was driven by a social cause.

The climb was to raise awareness of St Vincent School for the deaf and the work that they do.

St Vincent has been educating deaf children for the past 75 years.

“I feel very proud indeed that this team and Terence climbed for the school and to raise awareness for deaf education and all that deaf people can do,” said Ingrid Parkin principal of St Vincent School for the deaf.

“The children have seen the film of the climb and I have explained to them that this is symbolic of what the best achievers need to do before they can achieve their goals… it’s hard work, sometimes boring, sometimes repetitive but the ultimate reward makes it all worth it,” she adds.

Terence enjoyed the climb.

“I like to push limits and this one was the ultimate. I was proud to carry the school flag all the way up and was especially proud to be supported in this by Globeflight, which has a close relationship with the school as well as the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation as I and Charlene were swimming buddies for many years,” said Terence.

Although the crew kept their mission on head and moved toward their goal, there were challenging moments that made the journey bleak and daunting.

“There was a time when it was very cold, people would stumble and fall like something out of a zombie movie,” recalls Batzonfin.

The team remained focused because they wanted to see Terence at the top to prove that the deaf can do anything except hear.