He’s more used to the latest designer attire, but this week David Furnish will be donning waterproofs and climbing boots. The Canadian filmmaker is setting off with Janet Street-Porter and Johnny Bergius on an expedition partly sponsored by HELLO! to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Elton John AIDS foundation.
“Last year I went on a trip to Africa with Johnny, who’s one of the Foundation’s directors,” David told HELLO!. “We looked out of the plane, saw Mount Kilimanjaro and thought how amazing it would be to climb up to the top. Not only as it’s so beautiful, but to do some fundraising too.”
The intrepid trio plan to reach the summit on December 1, which is International World AIDS Day. “We want to boost people’s awareness of this important date,” David explains. “When we reach the top we’re going to call Bill Clinton, who’s involved in AIDS charity work. We’ll also fly a red flag with a red ribbon attached – the international symbol for AIDS awareness.
At 5,892 metres Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak, so David, Janet and Johnny have been training hard for the climb. “We’ve spent hours in a Hypoxic Training Room that simulates a mountain atmosphere, to build up our cardiovascular strength at a reduced oxygen level,” says David.
“I’m a bit nervous because we’ll be exposed to the elements and it can get pretty cold up there,” he admits. “But we’re determined to succeed and we’ve had so much support.”
Not least from David’s partner, Sir Elton John. “Elton’s on tour but he’s been very encouraging and we’ll be in touch daily via satellite phone.”
David is delighted with the response to the expedition. “We’ve received almost £100,000 in pledges,” he says. “But we’re hoping by the time we get home, we’ll have more than that.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
