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Our History – David’s Story
David Roberts was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in August 2000, aged 22. He went immediately into chemotherapy and underwent a bone marrow transplant at The Alfred hospital.
This put him into remission and he
moved to Falls Creek where he became a ski Instructor. A confirmed job in Austria would enable David to continue his great love of climbing - he had already climbed Mt Aspiring in 1998 and Mt Cook in 1999. Unfortunately David’s cancer returned in November 2001 and another bone marrow transplant prescribed, with his sister, Jayne as the donor. Before David’s second bone marrow transplant he went to New Zealand and climbed Mt Aspiring as a challenge and to raise money for Bone Marrow Transplant research at The Alfred. To climb a mountain at any time requires remarkable fitness and luck, David was starting well behind the eight-ball.
The success of this expedition led to the establishment of the Mt Aspiring Challenge which has raised over $100,000 to date for cancer patient support and research at the Alfred Hospital.
Unfortunately David’s cancer returned
in August 2002 and sadly David passed away on 5 July 2003 aged 25 years. His
courage and determination will be remembered by those who knew and loved him
with his legacy living on through the Mt Aspiring Challenge. David’s family and friends continue to raise money for this worthy cause in his memory and continue to fight for a cancer free future.
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Copyright © 2006 Mt Aspiring Challenge (The Alfred Foundation)
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Nestled
in the heart of the Southern Alps, Mt Aspiring (3,027m), the “Matterhorn of the
South” is one of New Zealand’s most recognizable landmarks. First climbed in
1910, it has fascinated mountaineers for years.
His
love of the mountains and his desire to contribute to the ‘fight for a cure’ led
him to organizing a sponsored ascent to the summit of Mt Aspiring in 2002.
