A big climb for Ian to help others like his mum

Having metal plates in his legs and mild arthritis will not stop Ian Kearney from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Ian Kearney with his dog on a training exerciseIan Kearney with his dog on a training exercise
Ian Kearney with his dog on a training exercise

Having metal plates in his legs and mild arthritis will not stop Ian Kearney from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.Not long after the 47-year-old has wolfed down his Christmas dinner, he will jet off on Boxing Day for his charity challenge, aiming to raise £5,000 for Alzheimer’s Society, in honour of his mum, Judy Kearney, 82, who was diagnosed with the illness at the beginning of the year.The challenge will be particularly difficulty for the Whittle-le-Woods father-of-two as he has a metal plate in one knee and steel pins, as well as mild arthritis.He said: “In 2008 after hearing a week of Dementia Awareness on the radio I was moved to tears as I listened to the story of numerous families who have been touched by this condition. “I felt so strongly that I got off my behind and registered for the Inka Trail Trek in Peru with the Alzheimer’s Society. “Who would have thought then that in a strange twist of fate that money I raised then, would end up helping my mum several years later. “It’s been a tough start for us all to understanding the impact this condition can have, not least for mum. She has been an amazing mum to five and is grandmother to nine and friend to hundreds. “So for me what else could I do, be there for mum and dad and to help raise more awareness and my small financial contribution will help now and in the future.“I decided to take part in this new challenge for Alzheimer’s Society because my mum was diagnosed at the start of 2016. “It’s truly heartbreaking that she is struggling with some of life’s most basic tasks that we all take for granted. “I know the trek is going to be difficult at times, especially as I have a metal plate in one knee and steel pins in the other and mild arthritis in both'‹. But it’s great to know that every step I take will help support people to live well with dementia today and fund research to find a cure for tomorrow. I’ve been preparing for this for three months now.“During my most recent training trek on Scar Fell Pike I got lost in the mist and my map blew off in the rain. “I ended up descending down the wrong track and having reached the bottom of the valley, checked a map with other walkers and it was clear I was two valleys east so had no choice but to go back up and over, adding four hours and six extra miles to my trek.”So far Ian, who runs Cheeky Monkeys in Chorley with his wife, is almost halfway to this target. He is also planning a charity race night in the coming weeks in the Chorley area.To sponsor Ian text iank47 followed by an amount between £2 and £10 to 70700 or visit http://www.justgiving.com/ian-kearney4mymum