Kilimanjaro can be a pretty daunting task. Trekking 5,895m above sea level to reach the ‘Roof of Africa’. Battling the weather, the mountain and the altitude all the way.
A 90-minute game of football can be very demanding. Jumping for to win a header, sprinting to beat your opponent to reach the loose ball, and battling it out with your opposite number for possession.
So combining the two is probably not something that would ever really cross your mind, right? Wrong!
The ladies of Equal Playing Field decided that they would like to break the Guinness World Record for the highest altitude football match ever played, in a bid to raise money and awareness for their cause. And that is exactly what they did…
We caught up with some of the team after they successfully pulled it off to find out how it went!
Katie Donegan – Volcano FC
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!
