A former Tiffin Girls School pupil will ski the height of Mount Everest three times in three days to raise money to help Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers.
Chloe Garth, 25, who attended Tiffin Girls School from 1997 – 2004, chose to ski for the charity after her mother was diagnosed with MS in September 2009.
MS is a complex and incurable life-long condition that attacks the central nervous system, often leading to physical and cognitive disability.
Chloe said: “It took quite a long time for me to come to terms with my mum’s diagnosis, I think largely because it took a long time for all of us – her included – to fully understand the disease – and truthfully I am still not sure that I fully do, which is where the MS Trust and the information they provide becomes invaluable.”
While at junior school, Chloe took part in national races as part of the Surbiton High ski team along with Mollie King of The Saturdays. After graduating from the University of Sheffield in 2007, Chloe worked a ski season in Val-d’Isère, but returned home early with a knee injury, from which she is now fully recovered.
Chloe said: “As soon as I found out about the Monster Ski I registered. To be able to do something I love and help a charity that supports people like my mother and family is a real privilege.”
Chloe and the other fundraisers will travel to Tignes, France to take part in the Monster Ski Challenge for the MS Trust from 22 – 26 March 2012, where they will all ski 90,000 vertical feet over three days.
The Monster Ski Challenge, now in its fourth year, has seen fifty people take on the mountains of Colorado, Engelberg, Whistlet and Tignes, helping to raise over £360,000 to fund the MS Trust’s work.
Speaking of her mother’s support, Chloe said: “She is really proud that I’m taking part in the challenge, and is hugely supportive – as she has always been of everything I’ve done. I think she knows that really I am doing it for her.”
To take part, fundraiser must raise a minimum of £1,700. Chloe has paid the £950 of costs herself, and hopes to raise £2,500 along with awareness for the charity. Chloe has managed to raise £2,100 including gift aid so far, and says she was “astounded” by people’s generosity.
Laura Percival, Fundraising Officer from the MS Trust, said: “We are so pleased to have Chloe on the Monster Ski team for Tignes 2012. She is one of our top fundraisers this year and the money she is raising for the MS Trust will help to provide vital information and support for people living with multiple sclerosis.”
There are more than 100,000 MS sufferers in the UK, and currently there is no known cause or cure for it.
For more information on the Monster Ski Challenge visit: http://www.facebook.com/monsterski and to donate, visit Chloe’s fundraising page at: http://virginmoneygiving. com/chloegarth
