Class on Leadership

Spring ball is halfway done and the spring semester is flying by. The climb is looming and as a team we are doing a lot to prepare. Most of the guys who are going on the trip are taking a class about leadership qualities and emotional awareness with emphasis on the activities that we will be doing in Africa. In the class we have heard from speakers, most of which who have climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, who shared any number of things dealing with the obstacles of our trip. From breaching a communication gap to attempting to teach a very complicated sport to kids who have never seen it before, and pushing a group of 100 or so people, some very large, up a very tall mountain.

Something that really stuck with me from our course was when a Peaks 4 Poverty representative, Native of Tanzania, from our own Drake Campus, came in to tell us both about the climb, which he had done twice to raise money and draw attention to the struggle of the poverty stricken in the world, and about the people and culture of Tanzania. In hearing about the people that the football teams would be experiencing I became overwhelmed with the awareness of just how big of a deal this trip was. We are going to be making lifetime memories and impressions on these kids, some of whom will not have shoes or access to clean water. I realized that all the people who came into the classroom to tell me how this trip would change me forever weren’t just talking about the accomplishment of the first game in Africa or climbing a mountain, they were talking about the people.



Eugene “EJ” Walter



There are many things that each individual is doing to prepare for Africa. I'm making sure that I have all the necessary gear that will allow me to climb the mountain. I got my hiking boots in January and have been breaking them in ever since. Now I'm just trying to utilize friends and family friends who have hiking experience, and that might provide some gear for me. I'm very fortunate to have an Uncle who has climbed to over 19,000 feet on Mount Everest. He has provided some good insight about what to expect from climbing, and how I should prepare. I have been walking daily, and just trying to do the movements that I will be doing on the mountain. Along with the gear, I have had to make sure that I have all the proper shots. I received for shots over spring break, and I think I have two left to receive. Two documentaries that I have watched are making me intimidated by this mountain. I just don't know how my body is going to react to the elevation change. The anticipation keeps building the closer we get to this trip.



Thanks for reading,

Pat Cashmore #30