Councillor’s bid to climb highest peak

A COUNCILLOR is hoping his self-discipline over the festive period will pay dividends when he attempts to scale Africa’s highest mountain for charity next month.

By The Newsroom

Published 4th Jan 2013, 06:00 BST

North East Lincolnshire councillor Ray Oxby maintained his spartan training regime over Christmas in preparation for climbing Kilimanjaro, when he hopes to raise money for National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Mayor of North East Lincolnshire’s chosen charity.

He said: “I have been training very hard for this expedition since September. Although it’s been difficult over Christmas to forgo the extra mince pie, when I reach the summit knowing that I have not only achieved my personal goal but also raised lots of money for charity, it’ll all be worth it.

“I am going on the expedition with my daughter Rachael, so we’ll both be supporting and encouraging each other. Reaching the summit will take six days of climbing that intensifies as the days go on. We’ll be walking for 13 hours on the last day.”