Name: Rebecca Amitai
Age: Will be 59 when we climb in February 2017
Hometown: Old Westbury, NY
Link: http://support.themmrf.org/goto/rebeccaamitai

Reasons for Climbing: Friends with MM. Family members with cancer. An opportunity to climb Mt Kilimanjaro and do just a little bit to help MMRF

My Story: Several close friends have benefitted from the work of the MMRF. I feel blessed and humbled to be a part of this group as we tackle climbing Kilimanjaro.

For the last 10 years I have enjoyed various outdoor pursuits. Middle age was the time I started running marathons and ultramarathons, competing in triathlons, and convincing my family that vacationing meant hiking. Before that I worked hard but was pretty much a couch potato.

I am fascinated by Kilimanjaro, one of the “seven summits” and the tallest mountain in Africa. It has a prominent spot on my bucket list. But a call from a friend, also on this trip, convinced me that this was the right time and the right trip – in large part because this is the right cause. I have several friends that are MM survivors and in remission thanks to the work of the MMRF. There are still many challenges but the MMRF has been making enormous progress.

I expect that being a part of this Kili trek, along with MM patients, family, and medical professionals, will prove as life changing as actually glimpsing the world from the summit.