My name is Jen Willis, I am from Melbourne, Australia, I am 51 years old, a single mum to three awesome humans and in 2018 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
Determined to find hope and possibility in spite of the challenges this would present, I committed to pursue a childhood dream of learning to mountaineer, and started Climbing for a Cure for MS - raising awareness of MS and fundraising for MS research.
Having come from a background of working as an outdoor educator, I already had a high level of competence rock-climbing, ski touring and snow camping, and last year I headed to Nepal to combine these passions through mountaineering.
After spending almost six weeks in the Himalayas last year building my high-altitude climbing experience on Mera Peak, 6476m and Ama Dablam, 6812m (and raising almost $10,000 for MS research) I have now secured a place on an expedition to climb Mt Everest this April. I will be the first Australian with MS to attempt to summit Mt Everest, and only the third person ever with MS to stand on top of the world!
It is the support of the wider community that is going to make this Climb for a Cure for MS a true success, so I am inviting you to donate towards this exciting expedition and in turn make a positive difference to the lives of the 25,000 Australians and 2.8 million people worldwide living with MS.
I will be matching every dollar donated towards this expedition through my ongoing fundraising for MS research for the Trish MS Research Foundation, and am dedicating this climb to Trish Langsford, who passed away of MS in 2002 at the age of just 30, and to all the other people worldwide who live with this chronic, progressive, and potentially disabling disease of the central nervous system for which there is currently no cure.
If you would like to learn more about me and my climbing for a cure, you can visit my website, Facebook or have a listen to or read of the media stories below.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for becoming a part of such a significant expedition!
Personal website:
www.helpcurems.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/HelpCureMultipleSclerosis
Radio interview:
https://www.southernfm.com.au/show/newsman/jens-quest-for-everest/
Nine News tv interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isvj6qKpkTM
Ranges Trader story:
https://rangestrader.mailcommunity.com.au/news/2023-01-09/from-growing-up-in-the-dandenongs-to-preparing-to-tackle-mount-everest-jen-willis-story/
MS Plus story:
https://www.msplus.org.au/news/climbing-for-a-cure-mum-of-three-with-ms-to-climb-himalayan-peak
For those that are not familiar with MS, it is a neurological and autoimmune disease where the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves of the central nervous system- brain, spinal cord and eyes- leading to scarring (lesions) that causes disruption of the transmission of signals and a range of very challenging symptoms impacting movement, sensation, vision, speech and other bodily functions as well as fatigue, dizziness, pain and more. Over 25,000 Australians are impacted by MS, and to date there is no cure for this progressive illness.
At the moment I am incredibly fortunate as my MS has only resulted in lesions in my brain (currently around 30) and while this leads to a range of symptoms, at this stage my spinal cord remains unaffected meaning I do not have any limitations on my physical movement and am a confident and capable climber. However, as MS is a progressive illness, my future remains uncertain, and time is of the essence while my movement is not affected when it comes to undertaking an adventure of this scale!
My recent climbing trip to Nepal was extremely challenging and also rewarding as I navigated climbing one of the most technically difficult mountains in the Himalayas and truly extended myself to reach my own personal summits- real and metaphorical! This experience provided me with a unique opportunity to share my story and start to inspire others, both with MS and also without, to challenge their own self-limiting beliefs and to realise just what we can all achieve when we allow ourselves to open up to our own unique potential and possibilities.
To be able to now join this Everest expedition and share my story would be, without doubt, a life-changing dream come true, and your support will have a profound impact on both myself and also the many people who will see that with enough determination we really can accomplish some of our most outstanding goals!
I am also seeking corporate sponsorship so if this is something you feel you could assist with in any way, either through your own organisations or through assistance with introducing me to any potential sponsors, please send an email to climb4ms@gmail.com
Given the ever changing world we are experiencing, we all know even the best made plans can be interrupted! When donating, please indicate in your note if, if for any reason the expedition cannot go ahead, you would like your donation returned or would be happy for it to be donated instead to the Trish Foundation, and I will ensure that your decision in this regard is honoured. Please make sure you detail a way I can contact you if money is to be returned.
Thank you so much for supporting this amazing adventure and please share this page with your family and friends.
Following your climb on social media. You are an inspiration!