Women to climb 8 peaks for Duchenne
Published on: Thursday, May 28, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Inspired by 'Expedition Mount Kinabalu,' an annual event here, eight women from all over the world would be climbing mountain peaks in different hemispheres in August to raise awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.The women from England, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, and the United States would be climbing for California based charity Coalition Duchenne.Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive muscle wasting disease and the most common fatal genetic disease that affects children.
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The group of women would be climbing Switzerland's most famous skyline, comprising the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau in what is called the '3 Peaks Challenge'. To be led by Switzerland-based Englishwoman Lisa Hutchins, the self-described "ordinary women" are set to do the climb in memory of Hutchin's late husband, internationally renowned wingsuit pilot Dan Vicary who died tragically in 2014. Coalition Duchenne's annual ascent of Mount Kinabalu marks the fifth consecutive year that climbers have summited to raise Duchenne awareness. Coalition Duchenne founder and executive director, Catherine Jayasuriya who grew up in Sabah had always dreamed of taking her children to the mountain summit.
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However, her son, Dusty Brandom would never make the climb as at 22 he is in a wheelchair after being severely impacted by the muscle wasting disease. "Their bodies fail them but their mind and dreams are strong. Dusty is my daily inspiration and inspires everyone he knows by the way he overcomes personal adversity with a smile on his face," said Jayasuriya.
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The connections between the climbers this year are complicated and geographically challenging, but embody the best of human nature and people coming together globally to inspire others and help those less fortunate than themselves. Vicary learned of Dusty and Duchenne when he saw the distinctive red Coalition Duchenne wingsuit that has been flown around the world by different wingsuit pilots to raise awareness about the disease. He has a sister with a form of muscular dystrophy and the happy spirit in which Dusty overcomes the challenges presented by Duchenne inspired Vicary to commit to participating in the first ever wingsuit flight in Borneo as part of 'Expedition Mount Kinabalu 2014'. However, Vicary and two other wingsuit pilots died after crashing into a field following a jump from a helicopter over Switzerland's Luetschental Valley. Now, Vicary's wife Hutchins is committed to keeping Dan's dedication to Duchenne and Coalition Duchenne alive. "You cannot pay respect to someone by sitting in a darkened room, especially not someone so completely full of life," said Hutchins.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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