One of the most rewarding aspects of making wheelchairs for people is that we can become just a tiny part of their everyday achievements. Whether that is negotiating some more gentle slopes here in good ole blighty or challenging themselves to scale the heights of Kilimanjaro, those daily achievements give us as much pleasure as our wheelchair users themselves. We love hearing their stories, and this is an exceptional one. In the case of Andy Reid MBE, the triple amputee ex-forces veteran, the loan of a Trekinetic K2 wheelchair to support his challenge in reaching the summit of this Tanzanian beast of a mountain was something we couldn’t refuse.
Mount Kilimanjaro, standing at 5,895 meters (18,000 feet) above sea level, the highest peak in Africa, has challenged many a non-disabled person, including Andy, but just occasionally, someone with ‘supposedly’ life-limiting disabilities rips up the rule book and takes on the challenge too. We say ‘supposedly’ as Andy doesn’t believe in limitations.
‘When your name is Andy Reid, there seemingly is no rule book; he’s climbed it before when he was non-disabled, so why not go again?’
Andy exudes a sense of immeasurable determination and courage to succeed for a great cause, The Standing Tall Foundation. As the Colonel and co-founder of the foundation, Andy defied all odds to become the first triple amputee to reach the summit of this mighty mountain.
We just had to interview him on his return home. He even arrived at the summit with a burger. So, yeah, we had to ask why!
If it’s not a daft question, Andy, why did you take a burger to the top of Africa’s giant mountain?
We thought we would break a few records. Yes, I was the first triple amputee to scale Kilimanjaro, but I also helped to break another record, the highest-ever altitude food delivery on land.
Uber Eats UK was one of our generous sponsors, so we had to ensure that we fulfilled that delivery.
Did anyone eat it?
No, I wisely chose not to eat the several-day-old burger myself, as those who did was not feeling too good afterwards.
So, what motivated you to climb Kilimanjaro?
Our work at The Standing Tall Foundation is the motivation. We wanted to raise valuable funds for the foundation, which go towards supporting Mental Health Counselling and Addiction Support Services. Every £100 we raise will help individuals get the support they need.
Who climbed the mountain with you?
I had a fantastic team that consisted of prosthetics specialists, physios, an ex-forces colleague and 13 brilliant Sherpas who guided us safely towards the summit. In all, there were 24 of us taking on the challenge to climb Kilimanjaro.
How long did the whole challenge take?
It took us 14 days to complete. I wanted to reach the peak on the 13th of October, precisely 13 years to the day I was fighting for my life on a stretcher in Afghanistan after stepping on an IED. Every year since that date, I try to do something positive. Something that reminds me how lucky I am to be alive and able to take on these challenges to help others.
We donated one of our wheelchairs for your descent down Kilimanjaro. How did that go?
Honestly, I was expecting the chair to disintegrate on the way down. I had seven guys on a rope tied to the chair with me seated, and we descended at a robust pace, running at times with the chair having to negotiate some large rocks and rugged terrain. Fortunately, both of us, me and the wheelchair, got down in one piece. The wheelchair stood up perfectly to the task and kept me safe on the descent.
Most importantly, you were doing this to raise funds for The Standing Tall Foundation. How much did you raise?
So far, we have raised over £80,000, and we are still open to further donations from anyone who would like to support the foundation’s work.
What’s the next challenge?
I will take a few weeks off. My body went through quite a lot. I can still feel the effects of Kilimanjaro and will take some time out to plan our next challenge. Watch this space!
We want to thank Andy Reid for taking the time to talk to us about his incredible climb up Kilimanjaro. We urge anyone who wants to get involved and support The Standing Tall Foundation to get in touch. If you would like to donate following Andy’s challenge, the foundation would welcome as many donations as possible. All funds raised will support the help provided to people with Mental Health and Drug Addiction.
