Spencer West, a motivational speaker based out of Toronto, Canada, made headlines this week by successfully summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, which at 19,341 feet, is the highest point in Africa and the largest free-standing mountain in the world. Spencer took seven days to make the climb, and in doing so raised $500,000 for Free the Children’s sustainable water initiative in Kenya.
Seven days is a far cry from the world record time, set by Italian climber Bruno Brunod at 5 hours, 40 minutes and 38 seconds. West’s more leisurely pace is more than justified, however–as after undergoing a double amputation at the age of five because of a rare genetic disorder, the 31-year-old Wyoming native made the climb on his hands.
