Man Meets Mountain: Luke Kittel and the Challenge of “Conquering Kili”
by Leslie Parsons
“You don’t climb mountains without a team, you don’t climb mountains without being fit, you don’t climb mountains without being prepared and you don’t climb mountains without balancing the risks and rewards. And you never climb a mountain on accident—it has to be intentional.” – Mark Udall
Luke Kittel is about to join a very exclusive club.
In February of 2024, he will become one of the 35,000 people who climb Mount Kilimanjaro every year. While this may seem like a large number, it is less than 1/10th of a percent of the world’s population. More importantly, Luke will become one of only a handful of people who have climbed Kilimanjaro while wearing a prosthetic leg.
Luke, a former Army Green Beret, spent 25 years in the military before a series of accidents and injuries led to a significant decrease in his mobility and forced him to retire in 2014. In 2018, he and his doctors made the difficult decision to amputate his right leg below the knee. Luke was determined not to let his disability slow him down and began working to regain his former level of activity as soon as he received his first prosthetic leg. Since then, he has dedicated himself to training for and competing in numerous marathons, open water swims, and triathlons—including the Iron Man Triathlon.
Always on the hunt for new challenges, Luke has now set his sights on mountain climbing. He has already reached the summit of Mount Kosciuszko, the tallest mountain in mainland Australia, and now he has decided to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. He will be joining a team of current and former professional athletes, military combat veterans, and clean water advocates who are participating in the “Conquering Kili” challenge. This challenge was created by the Chris Long Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing life-sustaining drinking water to communities in need. The goal is to empower participants to unite for collective impact and better communities.
With his intention and his team set, Luke has now turned his attention to making the preparations necessary to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Luke and the other members of his team will be expected to walk at a steady pace for 5-6 hours a day while carrying approximately 35 lbs. In addition to food, water, and other supplies, Luke will carry the tools he needs to maintain his prosthetic leg and some spare parts in case repairs are needed. He has spent the past few months working with his prosthetist to ensure that the leg he uses can withstand the rigors of the climb, while still being simple enough that Luke can handle any required maintenance himself.
To prepare for the climb, Luke walks for several hours every day, wearing a backpack loaded with weights in order to increase his endurance. Since walking on flat terrain is very different from hiking up the side of a mountain, he has had to get creative with his training regimen. In addition to his daily hikes, he trains for this adjusted incline on a treadmill (since he does not have immediate access to steeper terrain near him).
All this preparation takes time and Luke has had to juggle his training schedule with the demands of his day job and personal life. In addition to his physical and mental preparation for the climb, Luke has also given himself another task. He is using the “Climbing Kili” challenge as a platform to raise funds for both the Chris Long Foundation and The True North Foundation, which has sponsored many of his athletic endeavors. His goal is to raise $50,000, the bulk of which will be given to True North to support the adaptive athlete community through grants to individuals and organizations. He feels he has a responsibility to give back to those who have supported him and to inspire and assist other adaptive athletes.
The True North Foundation is proud to be a part of Luke Kittel’s journey to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. To learn more about Luke or make a donation to support his endeavors, click here. You can also follow Luke on Instagram @k2racingteamfl.