Donations pour in for lifeboatman’s epic climb

A Kirkwall Lifeboat crew member is taking on “the challenge of a lifetime” as he climbs Africa’s tallest peak.

Kevin Ryrie is on his way to Tanzania, this week, to take on Mount Kilimanjaro in a bid to raise money for both the RNLI and Prostate Cancer UK.

This mammoth fundraising effort is inspired by Kevin’s father, Stewart, who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Over £3,000 in donations have already been made to the fundraiser by deputy coxswain Kevin, who followed in his father’s footsteps when he joined the crew of Kirkwall RNLI over 16 years ago. His brother Sean soon came aboard too.

After setting off this Thursday, Kevin will soon begin a 72km trail taking him through both blistering heat and freezing cold temperatures.

“I could be climbing for up to 12 hours a day, while sleeping in basic tents up the mountain,” he explained, sharing hopes to reach the 5,895-metre summit in five days.

You can support Kevin’s fundraiser by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/team/kevins-kilimanjaro-2024

Read more about this in The Orcadian, available now online and in shops, and stay tuned for updates on Kevin’s progress.