Letterkenny man John Wilkie is on a high once more after presenting €11,144 to the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The money was raised over the past year as John prepared for a once-in-a-lifetime climb up Kilimanjaro.
The well-known karate sensei reached the summit of Africa’s tallest mountain on 24th June.
Each step of the way, he remained focused on his goal to raise funds and awareness for Irish Guide Dogs.
The €11K donation, which was presented on Friday, will fund the training of a guide dog for one year.
As a thank you to John, the charity invited him to name a guide dog puppy. Therefore, the next litter will feature a cute pup named ‘Oakley’ in tribute to John’s work.
Friday 21st July: John Wilkie presents a cheque to Jennifer Doherty of the Donegal branch of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind
The Kilimanjaro trek was an overwhelming achievement for John, who has overcome some major health battles in recent years. In 2015, he battled paralysis as a result of Guillan Barre Syndrome (GBS). He also had a double hip replacement three years ago.
Walking and climbing became a great source of fitness and wellbeing for John.
As he looked forward to his 60th year, he wanted to celebrate his health by supporting an important cause.
John says his 18 days in Africa were truly eye-opening.
From the city of Moshi to the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, John encountered remarkable people with ‘joie de vivre’ and braved some hairy journeys on dirt roads.
“We only think our roads are bad. When you go out of the town, you’re on roads that reminded me of Dromore in the 70s,” he said.
John Wilkie on Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, at 5,895m, is the highest single free-standing mountain in the world. John and his fellow climbers spent a week hiking the mountain. The descent was almost as testing as the climb, he said.
At the summit, John said he fell to his knees in amazement at what he had done.
“About 65% of people don’t make it to the top because they underestimate how difficult it is. Only for Jason and our team, we made it up,” he said.
“It was absolutely spectacular to stand there and look around at the sunrise. It was emotional for me. My mind went back to 2015 and 2017 when my mobility was gone. I thought to myself ‘I am so lucky to be here and to be able to do this’.”
One of John’s mottos is ‘see it, believe it, achieve it’ and he hopes his achievement can inspire others to step out of their comfort zones, just as he did over the past year.
