Michael Wood
When his feet met the snows of Kilimanjaro, Michael Wood gazed up at the cloudless azure sky and out toward the endless African horizon.

He had arrived at the summit, Uhuru Peak, the Roof of Africa. So it was there at 19,340 feet where, instead of an overwhelming sense of triumph, Michael Wood fell into peaceful reflection. His only thoughts were about his daughter, Olivia.

"Five years before my climb, I lost one of my twin daughters tragically when she was just eight years old," says Wood, a national fitness expert from North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Olivia's twin sister, Julia, is a healthy, happy teen, now heading into ninth grade.

"Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro had always been a lifelong dream of mine, but then it became something bigger and more meaningful. It was a way to keep my daughter's name alive and with a good cause and vision behind it."

"Atop Kilimanjaro, I felt as high and as close to heaven and to Olivia as I will ever get on earth," says Wood. "There was such a spiritual connection for me."

Scott Olitsky
Scott Olitsky not only had a personal cause when he climbed Kilimanjaro but also one mountain-sized personal obstacle to overcome. Olitsky recalls how, when he trekked above 12,000 feet on Mount Teide in the Canary Islands, a single adjective best describes his experience - miserable.

Olitsky would later discover that he suffered from Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), a genetic disorder that causes abnormalities of blood vessels and can lead to severe nose bleeds and adversely affect the lungs, brain, and spine. High altitudes, with such thin, dry air, appeared to be his worst enemy.

What's more, Olitsky didn't exactly come from a place conducive to understanding how his condition would be affected by rises in elevation. He lives in Kansas.

"About 90% of people with HHT go undiagnosed," explains Olitsky, who is a doctor and professor at the Kansas City School of Medicine. "I wanted to get to the top of Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness. It motivated me and helped me get out of bed early in the morning to train."

Olitsky says he raised $23,000 for HHT Foundation International. He spent an entire year planning and training for his climb, while also undergoing medical treatment for his condition. So how did he feel when he stood at 19,340 feet atop the tallest mountain in Africa? Olitsky has another word that embodies that moment - fantastic.

Sarah Carter
When Sarah Carter was young, her brother, Aaron, was diagnosed with autism. From that moment on, her family's quest to learn more about autism and to support her brother have shaped her perspective on life.

As an undergraduate student at Harvard University, Carter even wrote her honor's thesis on autism. With a lifelong interest in medicine, she currently works at Children's Hospital Boston and is applying to medical school.

Coincidentally, Carter first became inspired to climb Kilimanjaro around the same time she learned more about the Organization for Autism Research (OAR).

"When I was in college, I randomly saw the IMAX Kilimanjaro film," she says. "The film resonated with me, and I knew I wanted to climb one day."

With her Kilimanjaro trek scheduled for this July, Carter has been raising funds for OAR. Also a professional cellist, Carter will play a benefit concert to raise more donations a month before her trek. You can follow Carter's Kilimanjaro climb on her blog.

"I am dedicating my Kilimanjaro effort to my younger brother, Aaron, who, despite being diagnosed with autism as a child, has inspired me throughout our lives together with his fantastic sense of humor and unwavering optimism," Carter wrote in a recent post.

Mike Fox
Mike Fox doesn't have any problem staying motivated. A former collegiate football player, he stays fit and runs regularly. He thrives in seeking out personal challenges both physical and mental. For him, climbing Kilimanjaro offered the ultimate test. However, Fox also wanted do something more than just climb.

"I am doing something selfish in climbing this mountain by myself," says Fox, who is married with two young boys and is a global accounts manager for Cisco Systems. "So I thought I would do something to offset that and contribute to an organization that needs the support, helps a lot of people, and does great work."

Mike Fox chose to raise donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) through their fundraising branch, Team in Training. Fox explains that Team in Training usually supports people raising funds for LLS through marathons, triathlons, and other hiking, biking, and running ventures. He hopes to be something of a pioneer, encouraging future Kilimanjaro trekkers to support Team in Training.

"You get to a point in your life when you are healthy and have so many opportunities," says Fox. "Yet other people are suffering and dealing with serious illnesses like Leukemia. For me, it's important to be grateful for the health I have, to live my life to the fullest everyday, and to support others any way I can."

Briana Walker
In January 2010, Briana Walker will attempt to make it to Uhuru Peak in a wheelchair. And if you think that's unbelievable, wait until you hear her back story.

Walker became paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident when she was a 23-year-old aspiring dancer. But that didn't slow her down.

Today Walker is a professional model and dancer whose photos have appeared in countless international magazines, television commercials, and even on a billboard in Times Square. She is part of a hip-hop dance group that performs nationwide. Her hobbies include skydiving, surfing, wakeboarding, skiing, bungee jumping, and competing in triathlons. Walker trains at the CHEK Institute, an educational health and fitness organization in Vista, California.

"Briana is absolutely incredible," says Derek Gates, CHEK's marketing director. "We wanted to do a Kilimanjaro climb with a challenged athlete, and we knew she would be up for the challenge."

CHEK has organized the climb and helped design a state-of-the-art specialized off-road wheelchair that should allow Walker to complete much of the trek herself. At times, a support team will use ropes, equipment, and other means to assist her. The climb will be filmed for a documentary, and proceeds of film sales will be donated to the Challenged Athletes Foundation. To learn more about Walker's story, check out the Fit 4 Kili Climb site.

"Briana just returned from a hip-hop dance performance in Japan, and she has a started training for Kilimanjaro," says Gates, who will also make the climb. "She has seven months to go. It's going to be quite the amazing journey."

Friends of Tanzanian Schools:
Supports education projects at more than 12 schools that educate 11,000 children annually.
www.fotzs.org

International Mountain Explorers Connection:
Promotes the ethical treatment of porters and offers free training and health programs.
www.hec.org

Kilimanjaro Film Institute:
Trains disadvantaged youth in filmmaking and produces films of trekkers' experiences.
www.kilimanjarofilm.org

See our Kilimanjaro trek itineraries here

"Trekking Kilimanjaro is often bigger than the climb itself," says Katie Cordes, Thomson Safaris Kilimanjaro Program Manager. "We work closely with some great organizations in Tanzania. We're happy to connect you with them or work with you to support your own favorite charity. Just as you raise donation after donation, we'll be with you step by step up the mountain."