Galway sisters plan to conquer Kilimanjaro once lockdown is lifted – to raise thousands for Jigsaw

Conroy siblings, Éilís, 26, and Mary, have set a target of raising €15,000 to climb the highest free standing mountain in the world and Africa’s highest point. Located in Tanzania, the elder sister first came up with the idea of climbing it for charity while volunteering as a student.

The Conroys from Ballyglunin outside Athenry both share a passion for mental health. Éilís is a psychologist working in Trinity College Dublin while Mary is in the first year of a degree in law and social justice at UCD.

“I did the Leaving Cert during Covid and this year again there’s so much uncertainty for Leaving Certs. It’s a really difficult time for young people because they can’t meet up with friends, they don’t have that outlet – everyone knows someone affected by mental health difficulties,” reflects Mary

Éilís knows of several young people who availed of the support offered by Jigsaw which can provide invaluable help when waiting years for an appointment with the HSE’s youth mental health services.

“Jigsaw are an excellent resource. They really fill that gap between public services for young people which have a waiting list of three years or more.”

The women have already started training for the climb. Their route is over 62km and will take seven days and six nights camping on the mountain.

“It’s a really big challenge – it’s been a motivation during lockdown to get fit,” laughs Mary.

“I know 62km doesn’t sound like much but it’s all uphill and it’s more challenging because of the altitude. People can get altitude sickness so it is quite a gruelling trek.”

The pair, who both live in Dublin, have a varied training schedule – they combine strength training with running, HIIT (High-intensity interval training) and will start practicing on local hikes once the 5km restriction lifts.

They have booked the climb for June with Kilisa Tours as all climbers have to engage a tour guide by Tanzanian law. They can change the date to suit the pandemic guidelines but are prepared to quarantine in order to meet their goal.

The pair have set a target of €15,000 to raise for Jigsaw. A portion of the donations can be used to help towards expenses according to charity’s guidelines.

They have so far raised €3,345 from 68 donations.

“We have a few ideas about how to raise the money. Jigsaw are going to set up virtual events so that people can walk or run the same distance we’re climbing,” explains Éilís.

“We’re going to share our meal plans and training schedules and will share our journey once we get there.”

Donations can be made to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukdrq-climb-for-mental-health