Follow Mycroft’s attempt to be first female quadriplegic up Kilimanjaro online

Cape Town-based Chaeli Mycroft – an ability activist, wheelchair user and co-founder of The Chaeli Campaign – begins her attempt at becoming the first first female quadriplegic to climb Kilimanjaro; she has dedicated a site and other various tools to allow members of the public to follow the climb.

The  website will allow interested members of the public to follow Mycroft’s climb, it was created by safari tour operator Discover Africa, whose East African manager Carel Verhoef organised the climb for Mycroft and her team.

Users can subscribe to daily email updates on her climb, and take a video fly-through of the route. The progress of Mycroft and her team can be followed in real-time on Google Maps, while they will also be posting regular messages on YouTube. Mycroft and the Kili Climbers will be posting photos, videos and messages to the web page each day of their seven-day ascent of Kilimanjaro.

“This is a serious undertaking – both for me but also for my fellow climbers – and it is brilliant that we will have people all over the world willing us on like this,” Mycroft said.

“What is also amazing is that by using this site people will be able to find out exactly where we are, exactly what we’re doing, and even see our faces as we make our way up the mountain. As a way of making people feel involved in the climb, it is second to none, and I really hope it makes people feel as if they are there themselves and encourages them to support our cause both now and in the future.”

“Other tech includes Twitter’s Bootstrap framework, Campaign Monitor RSS-email automated workflows, Expression Engine and and a paid-for HTML5 theme to rapidly build this interactive microsite,” said Andre Van Kets, director at Discover Africa.

“We believe it’s a great example of how technical innovation can support good causes like Chaeli’s, and urge the public to get involved and support her and her team as they complete this remarkable climb.”

Since its launch two weeks ago the site has already had more than 2,000 page views from 56 countries, with interest expected to grow as Mycroft embarks on her climb.

Users can also leave messages of support for Mycroft and make donations to her campaign.

Ahead of the climb, Mycroft joked: “The climb illustrates the importance of working together, instead of having disabled people just being awesome by themselves”.

She said it was vital to both the team making the climb and the cause in the name it is undertake that people would be able to follow their progress and wish them well via the online platform.

Mycroft and her team of seven co-climbers are tackling the mountain in a bid to raise funds for her organisation’s Inclusive Education Programme and The Chaeli Cottage Inclusive Preschool and Enrichment Centre, with the seven-day trek beginning for real on August 29, the day before Mycroft’s 21st birthday.