A Tuam woman, who thrives by taking on a whole series of gruelling challenges in aid of Cystic Fibrosis, is facing her toughest test yet.

Because in less than four weeks’ time, CF sufferer Caroline Heffernan (51) is set to join a group who are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro around the middle of July.

The mother of two and grandmother, whose parents were told that she would not reach her 20th birthday, will be part of a group of over 20 who will climb Africa’s highest peak, and they are hoping that various records will be broken in the process.

The team have an ambition to raise more than €100,000 for Cystic Fibrosis and Caroline will be joined by musician Siobhan Brady who aims to play the harp at the highest altitude ever.

And Caroline has ambitions to be the first CF suffer to climb such a height and has said that if it means going ‘on all fours’ to get there, she is prepared to do so.

The climb takes place on July 17, and, in recent months, the group have been preparing for the challenge by climbing some of the country’s higher mountains including Ireland’s highest peak Carrauntoohil.

When they arrive at the summit of Kilimanjaro, Siobhan will perform Ed Sheerin’s song Little Bird on the harp while Caroline will recite President Michael D Higgins’ poem The Prophets Are Weeping.

Courageous Caroline has embarked on some demanding challenges over the years including marathon cycles, runs, triathlons and also has a couple of Ironmans to her credit, all in aid of CF.

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