MICHELIN EMPLOYEE SCALES MOUNT KILIMANJARO FOR CHARITY
Stoke-on-Trent – September 4, 2014
A senior Michelin employee and his family are back in the UK after a summer adventure climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Guy Heywood, Commercial Director of Michelin’s truck and bus tyre division, took on the gruelling six day climb with his wife Helen and sons Max and Joe in a bid to raise more than £2,500 for international development charity Transaid and the University Hospital of North Staffordshire Charity.
Despite the scale of the challenge, all four successfully reached the summit some 19,341 feet above sea level – atop the highest freestanding mountain in the world.
Not only did the Heywoods reach the summit, Joe – at only 11 years and 11 months old – became one of the youngest ever Britons to complete the climb.
Speaking on their return, Guy said: “The enormity of the challenge was staring us in the face soon after we arrived in Tanzania. Only about half of those who attempt to reach the summit are successful, so we knew this was no ordinary family holiday.
“To say it was a test of strength is an understatement. Our fitness training and determination were tested to the maximum, and the altitude sickness meant we couldn’t sleep on the night before we made our summit attempt.”
Reflecting on the huge achievement, he added: “For the four of us to stand on the summit as a family was a very special moment; made even more so as we knew we had raised significant sums of money for two charities close to our hearts.”
The Heywood’s trip to Tanzania was entirely self-funded, ensuring 100 per cent of the sponsorship money raised will go to the two beneficiary charities. The family is still collecting donations, via https://www.justgiving.com/Heywood-KILICLIMB2014/ and https://www.justgiving.com/Heywood-TRANSAIDKILI2014/. You can also read their expedition blog at http://www.kilimaxandjoe.blogspot.co.uk/.
Guy Heywood will be returning to the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in June 2015 when he and a team of three colleagues from Michelin will cycle 400km across Tanzania after signing up to compete in Transaid’s most challenging group fundraising event yet.
ends
Michelin (www.trucks.michelin.co.uk / @MichelinTruckUK)
Michelin, the leading tyre company, is dedicated to sustainably improving the mobility of goods and people by manufacturing and marketing tyres for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles/motorcycles, earthmovers, farm equipment and trucks. It also offers electronic mobility support services on ViaMichelin.com and publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in more than 170 countries, has 111,200 employees and operates 67 production plants in 17 different countries. The Group has a Technology Centre in charge of research and development with operations in Europe, North America and Asia. (www.michelin.com)
For further press information please contact:
David Johnson, Michelin Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1782 402341 Email: d.johnson@uk.michelin.com
James Keeler, Garnett Keeler PR, Inver House, 37-39 Pound Street,
Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 3PG
Tel: +44 (0)20 8647 4467 E-mail: james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com
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