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7 Year-Old-Girl Breaks World Record As The Youngest Girl To Ever Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, And The Reason Behind It Will Melt Your Heart
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7 Year-Old-Girl Breaks World Record As The Youngest Girl To Ever Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, And The Reason Behind It Will Melt Your Heart

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This year a brave young girl performed a daring feat and made history. Montannah Kenney, a 7-year-old from Austin, Texas climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and became the youngest female to do so. This young superwoman conquered the 19,341 ft summit with her mother during her 2nd-grade spring break. Kenney’s mother is a professional triathlete and served as a personal trainer for her daughter’s climb up Africa’s highest mountain. The tenacious 2nd grader trained for four to eight hours during the weekends and hiked shorter distances during the school week. She previously participated in swimming, basketball and running which helped her physically prepare for this difficult trip.

The idea for the trek came from Kenney, who asked her mother to climb the summit with her. Her mother didn’t sugarcoat all of the difficulties they would have to surpass, but the brave 7-year-old was determined to reach her goal. The two even had to receive a special permit which would allow a 7-year-old to climb the mountain since the legal age limit to climb the summit is 10-years old. Throughout an entire trip, a guide and a staff of 25 people helped her.

Although reaching a world record is a big deal, that was not her purpose. Kenney explained she made the extremely difficult climb to be closer to her late father, who passed away when she was only 3-years-old. After they reached the summit Kenney’s mother says her daughter had a beautiful moment to commemorate her dad. “It was beautiful,” her mother exclaimed. “She knew she wanted to blow kisses to him and wave and hopefully he would see her.”

Kenney and her mother have also created a go fund me page where they raise money for EMDR therapy patients. The idea to fund-raise came from Montannah’s late father who was also suffering from PTSD and was trying to heal using this form of therapy.

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(h/t Mountain Kilimanjaro Guide)

RELATED:

    Meet Montannah Kenney, a 7-year-old girl from Austin, Texas who spent her spring break doing a rather untraditional activity

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    In March 2018 she became the youngest female to ever climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    According to the girl, the main reason behind this difficult climb was to be closer to her late father who has passed away when she was only 3-years-old

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    Kenney made the climb with her mother, who is a professional triathlete and served as a personal trainer for her daughter

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    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    This young superwoman conquered a 19,341 ft summit despite difficult weather throughout an entire trip as she had 20+ people looking after her

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    Her mother says that the climb was her daughter’s idea and she wanted to do it no matter what

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    Kenny had to receive a special permit that allowed her to climb the mountain since the legal age-limit to climb this mountain is 10-years-old

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    The girl also participates in swimming, basketball and running which helped a lot while preparing for this difficult trip

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    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    She trained from four to eight hours during weekends and she hiked shorter distances during the school week

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    Montannah and her mother have also created a Go Fund Me page dedicated to helping people who are going through an EDMR therapy

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    The fund-raising idea came from Montannah’s late father, who was suffering from PTSD and was trying to heal using this form of therapy

    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    So Montannah decided to dedicate her trip to honor her father and to raise money for a wonderful cause

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    Image credits: Hollie Kenney

    It’s safe to say that many people were inspired by Montannah’s story

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    Check out the video that was shot moments after she reached the summit!

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    Chris Daemon
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    MAKES => "7-Year-Old Makes History..." she's not redefining it, she's adding to it... and awesomely so.

    Heather Kong
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This made me remember one time when I watched live a guy doing deep sea diving. I think he made it to hundreds of meters below the sea surface without any assisting equipment. When interviewed why he would make it his life to dive deeper and deeper into the sea, he said his mother was also a deep diver, who also personally trained him, and she died in her last effort under the Indian Ocean. He said when he dives deep, he feels close to her, he feels she's with him. Very touching.

    Patti
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just looked up the therapy the deceased father was doing, it's an eye movement therapy (sounds weird) for people suffering from ptsd. I wonder if the father took his own life? It didn't say

    Izabela Piotrowska
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But it's trekking, not climbing. For the average person though, being able to successfully climb and summit Kilimanjaro is definitely attainable. You don’t need to be particularly fit (indeed being too fit can be detrimental) and you do not need any technical climbing skills. Children over the age of 10 can legally have a go, as can older generations in their 60s and 70s! All you need is determination and the will to get to the summit.

    Izabela Piotrowska
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In late 2012 Canadian couple Esther and Martin Kafer, aged 84 and 85 years respectively became the oldest people to summit Kilimanjaro.

    Load More Replies...
    Vonskippy
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Stories like this make me oh so thankful that I didn't brainwash my two girls when they were young to do stupid stunts that I THOUGHT was a good PR stunt. My kids just did kids stuff, grew up normal, got advance Uni degrees and are normal people, not stunt puppets living their parents fantasy.

    Full Name
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You're pumped your kids are just run of the mill, "normal" people. Way to reach for the stars. This kid climbed Kilimanjaro before she was 10. She will actually live, whereas your goal is for everyone to just exist. I feel sorry for you, and the children you raised to be boring as s**t as well.

    Load More Replies...
    Chris Daemon
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    MAKES => "7-Year-Old Makes History..." she's not redefining it, she's adding to it... and awesomely so.

    Heather Kong
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This made me remember one time when I watched live a guy doing deep sea diving. I think he made it to hundreds of meters below the sea surface without any assisting equipment. When interviewed why he would make it his life to dive deeper and deeper into the sea, he said his mother was also a deep diver, who also personally trained him, and she died in her last effort under the Indian Ocean. He said when he dives deep, he feels close to her, he feels she's with him. Very touching.

    Patti
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just looked up the therapy the deceased father was doing, it's an eye movement therapy (sounds weird) for people suffering from ptsd. I wonder if the father took his own life? It didn't say

    Izabela Piotrowska
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But it's trekking, not climbing. For the average person though, being able to successfully climb and summit Kilimanjaro is definitely attainable. You don’t need to be particularly fit (indeed being too fit can be detrimental) and you do not need any technical climbing skills. Children over the age of 10 can legally have a go, as can older generations in their 60s and 70s! All you need is determination and the will to get to the summit.

    Izabela Piotrowska
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In late 2012 Canadian couple Esther and Martin Kafer, aged 84 and 85 years respectively became the oldest people to summit Kilimanjaro.

    Load More Replies...
    Vonskippy
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Stories like this make me oh so thankful that I didn't brainwash my two girls when they were young to do stupid stunts that I THOUGHT was a good PR stunt. My kids just did kids stuff, grew up normal, got advance Uni degrees and are normal people, not stunt puppets living their parents fantasy.

    Full Name
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You're pumped your kids are just run of the mill, "normal" people. Way to reach for the stars. This kid climbed Kilimanjaro before she was 10. She will actually live, whereas your goal is for everyone to just exist. I feel sorry for you, and the children you raised to be boring as s**t as well.

    Load More Replies...
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