It’s amazing what Fitbit users can achieve with their trackers. Rik English a 27-year old living in Manly, Australia, took on the challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa, the highest, freestanding mountain in the world and its summit, the highest point of Africa. Here, Rik shares his experience in his own words.
“As part of my pre-departure training, I incorporated long-distance treks. Here are my stats from a hike on Sunday 23rd August 2015, a couple of weeks before flying out to Africa,” says Rik.
“I’m no expert mountaineer and I’m terrified of heights. I knew I had to get serious with my preparation, so in the three months leading up to the climb, my health and fitness was paramount. I knew the benefits of being able to record, track and visualise data, so the Fitbit Surge worked seamlessly with my training program.”
“Two days before flying out to Africa, I completed my final cardio session in a controlled altitude chamber, my training results shown here on my Fitbit dashboard gave me a clean bill of health for the trek,” says RIk.
The Fitbit dashboard helped me identify strengths and weaknesses in my training as well as monitor my sleep, calorie and water intake. Deprivation of any of these fundamentals can bring on altitude sickness. So by tracking my physical activity and sleep, Fitbit helped me work towards my goal to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro. I also incorporated cardio interval training twice per week in a controlled altitude chamber.
Two days before my ascent, I had my final training session and tracked my progress on my Fitbit dashboard. My fitness levels looked good and I was physically ready for the challenge of reaching Mount Kilimanjaro’s summit in just 3 ½ days. I felt fantastic. I had a clean bill of health and I was confident that I could take on the 56km and 24 hours of trekking.
“Prior to flying out to Africa I was conscious about how much sleep I was getting. I kept a close eye on these stats through my Fitbit dashboard,” says Rik.
After using the Fitbit Surge throughout my training and seeing constant improvement, my only worry at this point was the possibility of developing altitude sickness. On days one and two, I was feeling great despite the lack of sleep. However, the higher you climb, the thinner the air gets, the harder it is to breathe and the less you sleep. At the end of day three, I found myself at Kibo Hut, 4,720m above sea level and this is when the real challenge started. I faced and overcame what was the toughest 8 hours of my life.
“Climbing to the summit, I faced up to and overcame what was the toughest mental battle of my personal life to date. I reached Gilman’s Point just as the sun was rising,” says Rik.
I reached Gilman’s Point just as the sun was rising. A huge milestone, signifying the end of torturously steep rock climbing and the start of the most scenic 200m elevation to the summit that anyone could ever wish for. The next two hours of trekking were the most unforgettable and enjoyable hours of my life.
“Challenge complete. On the morning of the 10th September 2015, I stood tall and very proud with 16 brave souls along side me on the roof of Africa. It was worth it!” says RIk.
I did it! On the morning of the 10th September 2015, I stood tall and very proud with 16 brave souls alongside me on The Roof of Africa. It was worth it!
It all starts with training, way before getting on the mountain. When your alarm goes off at 5am and it’s dark outside, think about the end goal. You need all the help you can get to complete a challenge like this. My Fitbit Surge was the workout buddy that kept me motivated. Whether or not I performed well, my Fitbit Surge tracked my progress on the dashboard and helped me reach my daily goals.
I hope reading this has inspired somebody to take on a challenge to achieve a life goal. It’s tough but fun, and thoroughly rewarding.”
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