By Meg Draffin
If anyone had told five-year-old me that not only would I grow up, but I would become the first Aussie with CF to summit the world’s tallest free-standing mountain, I would have told them they were dreaming!
Turns out, dreams do come true.
In 2019, at age 24, I decided that I wanted to be the first Australian with cystic fibrosis to successfully summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.
I have always grown up with the mindset of never letting CF define who I am, refusing to surrender to ill health and adversity. I have always had a passion for exercise given the important role it plays in managing CF and keeping my lungs clear. My earliest memories were trying different sports, swimming, hiking, gym classes… you name it, I tried it (I even attempted competitive trampolining but that was short-lived). I think this is where my passion for adventure and challenge came from and sparked the idea to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
The second hardest part (other than climbing the actual mountain) was deciding if I should go public about my goal or keep it private.
Prior to the climb, only a close handful of family, friends and my amazing partner, Nathan, knew I had CF. Growing up, I never wanted anyone to view me differently. It was my dad and Nathan who convinced me that I should be proud of my CF, to never hide any part of who I am and that I could make a difference to the Australian community.
What started as a dream in my head became a fundraiser that had the support of so many people around Australia (and the world) and even a TV network sent a team with me. I think the subsequent TV segment was great for raising awareness for the CF community and hopefully sent a positive message to others.
The six-day trek took us from the lush rainforest to the snow-capped peak, nearly 6000 metres high.
From day one, my lungs felt the challenge of altitude, non-stop exercise and limited oxygen. My body was constantly exhausted. The higher we climbed, the less oxygen there was available. By the time we reached the top, oxygen levels were only at 49% matched with -10C temperature, with gale force arctic wind and snow.
The day we summited, we started at 11 p.m., reaching the top at 6 a.m., just in time for sunrise. It was the most beautiful view I have ever seen and I felt such an overwhelming sense of achievement.
However, it didn’t end there, we had to climb down 3/4 of the mountain on the same day finishing at 6 p.m. at night. That meant we trekked non-stop for 19 hours… I still can’t believe we did that!
What Kilimanjaro taught me:
- It’s just as much a mind game as it is physical. Resilience, determination and a never-give-up attitude are what got me through the darkest hours. There were plenty of moments when others in the group didn’t think I would be able to keep going, but when I set myself a challenge, I will always give it my all. This mindset is something I apply to everyday life!
- Create a killer Spotify playlist – this helped lift morale and distract us (Africa by Toto, The Climb by Miley Cyrus and 500 Miles by The Proclaimers are just some of the songs on constant rotation)
- “Pole Pole” – aka “Slowly slowly” in Swahili! It’s true what they say, slow and steady wins the race. I was never the first to camp (in fact our group was often close to last). However, we never got injured, we never had severe altitude sickness and most importantly we safely made it to the summit when a lot of other groups did not
- Surround yourself with an amazing support system in the lead-up to the climb and on the mountain. Thank you to my now-husband Nath, who would follow me anywhere, even the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Without him, none of this would have been possible.
The climb raised over $55,000 for cystic fibrosis and helped shed light on this invisible illness. All I could wish for with my story is for fellow CFers to know they are some of the strongest and most resilient people in the world. It doesn’t matter if your goal is to run around the block, make it through a school day or climb a mountain, don’t let CF hold you back from achieving your dreams or living your life.
The views, experiences or comments shared on this website are not medical advice and may not reflect opinions or beliefs of Cystic Fibrosis Community Care. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions regarding your health.
