Chesterfield man with cerebral palsy plans Kilimanjaro climb to fundraise for hospice that cared for his father

A man from Chesterfield with cerebral palsy is planning to climb Kilimanjaro to raise money for the hospice that provided end-of-life care for his father.
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Sam Hall, 37, is currently training to climb the 5895m of Mount Kilimanjaro- the highest mountain in Africa- at the start of July. He is doing this in memory of his father Steve, who sadly passed away in 2019 after a seven-year battle with prostate cancer.

Sam said: “It’s incredibly important to me. Me and my dad went on a couple of hiking holidays, going out to mountains in Switzerland and France. Kilimanjaro is something that he would have loved to do, so it feels like I’m doing this for both of us really.

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“It’s going to be super emotional at the top- to be honest, I can’t wait to get started and do it.”

Sam Hall, 37, is currently training to climb the 5895m of Mount Kilimanjaro. Pictured with his father Steve, who sadly passed away in 2019 after a seven-year battle with prostate cancer.Sam Hall, 37, is currently training to climb the 5895m of Mount Kilimanjaro. Pictured with his father Steve, who sadly passed away in 2019 after a seven-year battle with prostate cancer.
Sam Hall, 37, is currently training to climb the 5895m of Mount Kilimanjaro. Pictured with his father Steve, who sadly passed away in 2019 after a seven-year battle with prostate cancer.

This feat will be even more remarkable given that Sam has dystonia, a type of cerebral palsy which mainly affects his speech and ability to walk. In 2017, after his conditions began to deteriorate, he underwent a deep brain stimulation, which involves placing electrodes in the brain and connecting them to a pacemaker-like device in the abdomen.

Sam said: “Recovery was very tough. In the days immediately after I had the procedure, I had completely lost the ability to speak. I hadn't been told this was a possibility so it was, of course, very concerning, and all of this was happening while my dad was battling cancer.

“In the weeks that followed I was slowly able to string words together, and then sentences. After three months off, I was back at work. The seven-hour operation has completely stopped my neck spasms and changed my walk, although I still have issues with uneven surfaces.

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“Kilimanjaro is going to be significantly more difficult for me. Although I do a lot of walking, I’ve still got cerebral palsy, and going down is often a lot worse than going up- I even struggle going down stairs sometimes, so it’s definitely going to be interesting.”

Sam and his father Steve enjoyed hiking holidays together before Steve passed away.Sam and his father Steve enjoyed hiking holidays together before Steve passed away.
Sam and his father Steve enjoyed hiking holidays together before Steve passed away.

Indeed, Sam is no stranger to this kind of challenge. In 2019 he cycled the first stage of the Tour De France to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, and he took part in the RideLondon 100 mile challenge in 2017. He is taking on his most daunting challenge yet to raise money for St Julia's Hospice in Hayle, Cornwall, where his dad received end-of-life care before he passed away.

Sam is currently training for the climb in the Peak District. Updates on his progress can be found on his TikTok here. Sam is self-funding the climb, so every penny received in donations will go straight to St Julia's Hospice- any donations can be made via his JustGiving page.

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