Core Daily
The Performance Life
Conquering Kilimanjaro
As Linda and Ramon Nunez approached their final destination—the peak of Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro—they were suddenly filled with elation, excitement, and an unexpected burst of energy.
At 19,340 feet above sea level, Ramon scanned the vast African landscape from the peak on his 59th birthday and realized the immense accomplishment he'd achieved.
The couple had just spent the day trekking the final seven miles to reach the place they'd only been imagining since they decided to attempt the treacherous hike and began training with Athletes' Performance.
"I should have been exhausted, but I was thrilled," said Linda. "Making the summit was like a promise fulfilled, and it was exciting because we did it together."
Sitting within the borders of Tanzania and close to the border of Kenya, Mt. Kilimanjaro, known as "Kili" by those who've climbed it, is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world and the highest in Africa. Its landscape is made up of three volcanic cones—Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. Linda and Ramon became two of the nearly 25,000 people who will attempt the climb in 2009, only about half of whom will reach the top.
It took seven days, dozens of hours, and miles of determination to reach their destination. And at the top they realized the immensity of what nearly 18 months of preparation had led them to achieve.
In 2007, Ramon, who was working for a new children's ministry at the couple's church, decided that he wanted to get back into the great shape he was in during his years serving in the military. So when someone mentioned climbing Machu Picchu, Ramon boldly said he'd rather climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. A few weeks later he and his wife Linda were flipping through a pamphlet for a combo safari, climb, and trip to Zanzibar.
He'd been working out at his office's executive gym, but Linda was concerned that he would injure himself, and she wanted him to get some professional training to prepare for Mt. Kilimanjaro.
So Linda contacted Athletes' Performance and inquired about their High Performance Program. (The program features the methodology that Athletes' Perfomance uses to train elite athletes, but it's designed for everyday folks, from business executives to stay-at-home moms.) Pleased with what they had to offer, Linda signed up Ramon to train with performance specialist Nick Anthony.
"We found that Ramon, like most people, needed to improve his pillar strength and balance, which affects your ability to move efficiently," says Anthony. And when you're hiking on uneven surfaces, pillar strength, balance, hip mobility and flexibility—among the things Anthony worked on with Ramon—are paramount for reducing your risk for injury and improving performance.
Four months after Ramon started working out at Athletes' Performance, in Arizona, Linda noticed changes in her husband's fitness level and decided that she didn't want him to trek up the mountain by himself. "I realized that I would have to wait nine days and wonder what was happening with Ramon, or I would have to climb that mountain," said Linda. She quickly signed up.
For the next year, the couple worked with a team of specialists to develop a healthy eating and training program to help prepare them for a successful climb in Africa, as well as long-term health. Because while climbing the mountain was certainly an accomplishment, the couple counts their trip as a milestone toward living an active, healthy life into their later years. Their lifestyle changes have become a permanent fixture in their day-to-day life.
While Mt. Kilimanjaro was a feat, it isn't the last for the couple. So what's next? They've signed up for a two-day, 150-mile bike ride from Erie, Pennsylvania to Conneaut, Ohio to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. And they're building an 850-square-foot gym in their new home in Georgia.
"Now that we've conquered the mountain, it keeps us from wimping out on trying other new things," says Linda. "If you climbed Kili, certainly you can do anything."
To learn more about the High Performance Program, click here.
About The Author
Ameliaranne Sutton – Prior to joining CorePerformance.com as a Contributing Writer, Ameliaranne Sutton was an editor at Going.com.
