British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes conquered Mount Everest in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care last week, a year after he was forced to abandon an attempt on the mountain.
The world-famous explorer reached the summit shortly before 1 am on Thursday May 21, despite having previously declared “no more mountains”.
He’s not stopping there – his mission now is to smash the £3 million target he set last year to support Marie Curie Nurses, giving more terminally ill patients the choice to die at home, surrounded by their families.
He said: "I have summited Everest for Marie Curie Cancer Care which has long been a personal goal.
“Thanks to my sponsor Brewin Dolphin for making this possible, I urge everyone who followed my attempt last year to give generously to Marie Curie so that we can at last achieve our £3 million target to support its pioneering work in end-of-life care.”
Thomas Hughes-Hallett, Chief Executive of Marie Curie Cancer Care said: “Everyone at Marie Curie is delighted that Sir Ranulph has conquered Everest, we know it meant so much to him – we are so grateful to Ran for all his support for the charity and for his determination to personally take the Marie Curie flag to the summit.”
At 65, Sir Ranulph is the oldest Briton to summit Everest. He is also the first explorer in history to reach the world’s highest peak and the most northerly and most southerly points on the planet – the latter two unsupported.
After turning back last year, he said: “I won’t be returning to Everest, it’s a seven week trip – last time I had a heart attack, this time bad timing and weather scuppered my chances. I think any third attempt would be bad luck.”
To help Sir Ranulph smash his £3million target you can make a donation at http://www.justgiving.com/everestranulph
