Several years ago diabetic Alfie Swan, who is now in his mid-fifties and the proprietor of the Basildon Driving Centre, attempted a hike to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and failed after being stricken with altitude sickness..

In recent years Alfie, who is a fitness fanatic and regularly works out, has been using TRAINAIR^® to improve his respiratory capacity and fitness. He has successfully completed a hike to Machu Picchu in Peru, an ascent to Mount Everest Base camp in the Himalayas, Vietnam Charity Bike ride.

Alfie decided, after using TRAINAIR^®, to attempt Kilimanjaro for a second time, he was confident that the benefits of IMT that he enjoyed from training with TRAINAIR^® would enable him to succeed. So he decided to prove to himself that he could do it and at the same time raise money for the Essex Air Ambulance.

During his training Alfie used a regular circuit walk which took 1.5 hours, after 3 weeks regular use of TRAINAIR^® he covered the same distance in 1 hour and 10 minutes. He also increased his regular swim distance from 60 lengths to 120 lengths after inspiratory muscle training with TRAINAIR^®.

Alfie flew to Kilimanjaro International Airport on Friday 28 August. The Hike started on Sunday 30th August and followed the Machame Route which is probably the most beautiful route up Kilimanjaro. Where accommodation on some other route is in huts, the Machame route offers strictly tents only, making it better suited to the slightly more adventurous hiker. However, they are rewarded with a stunning scenic 'slide show' over 6 days.

From the third day on it was a hard trudge, one foot in front of the other hour after hour, looking down at feet all the time, only looking up at the scenery when stopping for a brief rest. On the way up they saw lots of people on their way down, some on stretchers!

On the last day they camped just below summit, (19,000 ft). The air was noticeably thin. Dinner was at 5pm, they checked their gear and then bed. Alfie said that with all the excitement and anticipation he just could not sleep. The final push to the summit began at midnight.

Whilst walking in the dark, Alfie stumbled and fell against a rock, bruising his ribs. As there was no blood he kept quiet about the incident, took some pain killers and carried on. Reaching the summit at 09:45 on Friday 4th September, he was in great discomfort with his bruised ribs. When his guide asked him how he was, Alfie said he wanted to go down as his ribs hurt. When the Guide asked why Alfie had not mentioned his ribs earlier, Alfie asked him what he would have done, the guide said that he would have taken Alfie back down. Alfie said "That’s why I didn't mention it!"

He spent 2 days coming down before travelling on to Zanzibar where he spent a few days resting at the beach dipping his toes in the Indian ocean. He arrived back home on 12th September.

Alfie said " It was a fantastic achievement, wonderful views, and the hardest thing I have ever done."; His final comment was that he never wants to see another mountain.