Primary school pupil takes on England’s tallest mountain
Wintery conditions, steep climbs and almost six hours of trekking were just some of the obstacles nine-year-old Ayesha Sawant overcame earlier this month as she took on her biggest charity challenge to date.
Armed with her hiking boots and walking poles, the Lady Royd Primary school pupil headed over to the Lake District’s Scafell Pike for a mammoth 978m climb.
Raising funds for the Imran Khan Cancer Appeal, Ayesha, accompanied by her father and other fundraisers, spent the day attempting to reach the summit before an equally long trek back down.
After a gruelling six hours of walking, the team successfully reached the top of England’s tallest mountain, raising hundreds of pounds between them for charity.
Ayesha says the group were met by up to six inches of snow at the summit, yet not even the boulder-strewn slopes could deter her for reaching the top.
Speaking of the trek, Ayesha said: “Some parts were quite tricky because of the huge rocks and it was very cold at the top.
“Even though I had six layers of clothes on I could still feel the cold.”
The exhausting climb to the top proved challenging for all climbers, yet it wasn’t until the descent that the group really had to start ‘watching their step’.
“Coming back down the mountain, the melting snow made it quite slippery,” Ayesha added. “That made it quite difficult but I still really enjoyed the day.
“The money I have raised will now be sent to Pakistan to help people who have cancer.”
The Imran Khan Cancer Appeal was established in Pakistan by cricketer, Imran Khan.
After being personally affected by cancer with the loss of his mother, the world-renowned cricketer-turned-politician helped set up the charity which developed the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center located in Lahore, Pakistan.
