Guinness World Record: The Highest Football Match Ever Played

She said of the HypoxicHIIT Class:

“The session at the altitude centre was very hard! James really pushed us and encouraged us and I felt I’d really worked out and benefited from training at altitude before setting off.”

She said of the trip:

“The trip up Mount Kilimanjaro was an amazing experience. We spent 6 days acclimatising, ready for match day which was the biggest physical challenge I’ve ever faced in my life. We started the 5 hour hike to the pitch at 3am, played the game and then made it to the peak afterwards. It was all worth it in the end and I’m proud to be part of the world record breaking group!”

Maggie Murphy – Player (Glacier FC) and Co-Organiser

“My brain and my body clashed during the match. My football brain still told me to make the runs, seek the flick-ons and provoke the defence – but my body couldn’t recover quickly enough. My brain told me to go – and my lungs told me to wait up! That combined with the pitch – a mix of volcanic ask and rock – meant that it was like playing beach football, just with reduced lung capacity. That final climb was tough – we climbed more than 1000m overnight before setting up the pitch and playing the full 90 minutes. It’s the most unique match of my life and I’m incredibly proud of the whole squad.”

I think you will all agree that what the team have achieved is is a truly incredible feat! If you’d like to read more about their story, or find out how you can help and donate, go to their website at www.equalplayingfield.com for more info!