Kilimanjaro: A Dream 32 Years in the Making

The Village Chronicles | Kilimanjaro Journal – Entry #1

Village girls and boys, welcome.

If you are reading this, then you are joining me on a journey that has been more than three decades in the making. In just a few weeks, I will begin the climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, standing proudly at 19,341 feet above sea level. It is hard to put into words what this adventure means to me because it is not simply a hike; it is the fulfillment of a dream that began when I was thirteen years old.

I grew up in Zimbabwe and attended boarding school. One day in geography class, we learned about the great mountains of Africa. I remember seeing a picture of Mount Kilimanjaro rising above the clouds in neighboring Tanzania. There was something about that mountain that captured my imagination. It seemed impossibly far away and impossibly high.

At thirteen years old, I made a quiet promise to myself. "One day, I am going to climb that mountain." Life, however, has a way of taking us on winding roads.

There were years of studying, sacrifice, raising children, heartbreak, healing, surgical residency training, transplant surgery fellowship training, and building a career as a transplant surgeon. There were dreams that came true and dreams that had to be rebuilt. And yet, somewhere in the background, Kilimanjaro remained. Patiently waiting. Now, for my 45th birthday, I finally get to answer the call of that mountain.

What makes this journey even more special is that I will not be climbing alone. My twenty-three-year-old son will be making the journey with me. As a mother, there are few gifts greater than sharing an adventure like this with your child. The thought of standing on the Roof of Africa together after five days of climbing fills my heart with gratitude.

The Preparation

One of the questions I am asked most often is: "How are you preparing?"

The answer is: intentionally. Climbing Kilimanjaro is not technical mountaineering, but it is a serious physical and mental challenge. Summit day can involve hiking for more than twelve hours in freezing temperatures and thin air. So preparation began months ago.

I have been spending time on the StairMaster several days each week, gradually increasing the number of flights climbed. What began as a modest goal has grown into sessions where I climb the equivalent of 120 floors. I have incorporated incline walking and hiking-specific conditioning into my workouts. Strength training remains a key part of my routine because strong legs, hips, and core muscles are essential for carrying a pack and enduring long days on the mountain.

I have also focused on nutrition, hydration, recovery, and maintaining a healthy body weight. Every workout, healthy meal, every early morning and every disciplined decision is another step toward the summit.

But there is another kind of preparation happening too.

Preparing the Mind

Every mountain teaches a lesson before you ever set foot on its slopes. Kilimanjaro is teaching me patience, consistency, and that great achievements are rarely accomplished through giant leaps. They are accomplished through thousands of small steps repeated faithfully over time.

As I train, I often think about the journey that brought me here. The little girl sitting in geography class could never have imagined the life that awaited her. She could not have known she would one day become a transplant surgeon. She could not have known she would move halfway across the world. She could not have known she would stand at the edge of her forty-fifth birthday preparing to climb the mountain she once read about in a textbook.

And yet here we are.

Why We Are Sharing This Journey

Over the next several weeks, this blog will become our Kilimanjaro journal.

Every other day, I will share updates from training, lessons I am learning, packing lists, challenges, victories, reflections on faith, and eventually stories from the mountain itself.

My hope is that this becomes more than a travel journal. I hope it becomes an encouragement. Perhaps there is a mountain in your life too. Maybe it is a dream you have carried for years, a goal that seems impossible, orsomething God placed in your heart long ago that you have not forgotten.

If there is one thing I have learned, it is this: Dreams do not expire. Sometimes they simply wait for the right season. And after thirty-two years, my season has finally arrived.

Until next time,

Dr. Praise Matemavi

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." — Isaiah 40:31