Francesco, please give us a little background on yourself.
- Born in Tampa, Florida
- Moved to Atlanta, GA, and then to Detroit, MI, in 1989
- Attended Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods, MI
- Graduated from University of Michigan in 1996 (GO BLUE!)
- 33 years old (34 at climb L)
- Moved to New Jersey in 1999, where I currently live in Bridgewater
- Regional Vice President, Quantia Communications
What is your purpose for climbing Pikes Peak?
After the great success of last year’s climb of Mt. Aconcagua and Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2007, I have been energized to continue to climb high in the fight against cancer. I have always hoped that my small efforts would encourage others to take on the fight. I’m staying close to home this year so that others can join me on this climb. Pikes Peak is a renowned summit in the Rocky Mountains. In fact, “America The Beautiful” was inspired and written because of Pikes Peak. It is a very challenging, yet attainable summit. I am looking forward to having others join me in tackling this summit, and I hope that our collective effort will inspire others to not only keep up the fight but also encourage many more to support the Van Elslander Cancer Center.
When is the climb going to take place?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
We understand that you are asking others to join you on this Rocky Mountain Challenge this year. Can you tell us a little about this?
I have always intended for my climbs to be more than just “my climbs.” I don’t want this to be about me but about the fight against cancer. I have wanted my climbing to raise funds but to also inspire others to join me. That’s exactly what is happening this year. I have assembled a
team that will join me in climbing Pikes Peak. The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, and so I’m excited to see how successful our team can be in raising money this year.
If someone wants to be a part of the Rocky Mountain Challenge and join your group, who should they contact?
How long will it take you to reach the top?
It’s a one-day, non-technical climb. I expect that it will take us approximately 10 hours to reach the summit.
How many feet is it to the top?
The summit is 14,110 feet.
What do you anticipate the weather to be like?
June in Colorado is beautiful. The weather should be in the 60s and 70s during the day. Since the majority of our climb will be during daylight, the weather should be very nice and moderate. Obviously as we ascend, the temperatures will drop, but it should be above freezing (32) for the entire climb even at the summit.
What do you have to do to prepare yourself for this adventure?
I’m definitely out of shape! I had a very hard time readjusting upon return from Aconcagua. That took a great deal out of me both mentally but primarily physically. I was not 100% well into the summer even suffering from bronchitis for a while. For this year’s climb, I’m back to my treadmill hiking. High degree of incline for long periods of time at a steady, even pace. This will be a day trip, so there is no need to prepare for carrying large loads in a backpack so I’m not doing much weight training. Mostly distance and endurance walking, climbing and some running.
Do you plan on making these climbs an annual event?
Yes, hopefully
Ideas for future trips include:
- 7 Summits……………..
- Jbel Toubkal – Morocco
- White Mountains hike
- Mt. Whitney
- A portion of the Appalachian Trail
- Mt. Elbrus – the highest peak in Europe
- Machu Picchu
- Death Valley
- Cage Dive with Great White Sharks off South Africa
- Amazon River trek
What has led you to do something like this at this point in your life?
I have always had an element of “danger seeking” or “adrenaline addict” in my composition. Since my mother’s death, I’ve developed a newfound appreciation of life and time. I’m more apt to take chances or try something on a whim so as not to regret not having tried it. Like the Tim McGraw song, “Live like you were dying,” I think I now appreciate more the time that each of us has and that we should truly make the most of it.
We understand that your mother died of cancer. How does this relate to your climb?
Again, the idea of the first climb was to be just a trip. An adventurous trip that fits into my mentality of “take chances and experience life to the fullest.” I think that’s what I really learned from my mom and her illness. To make the most of life. Therefore I believe that I can have a twofold effect with this latest climb: first to live up to that expectation of enjoying life, and second to honor her life and hopefully generate support from others to help battle this devastating disease.
Last year’s climb had a very personal and spiritual element to it for me. This year is now more of a climb for others. I will still be thinking of my mom every step of the way, but now I will be focusing more on what this can do for others.
Since you’re doing this in honor of your mother, please tell us a little about her?
How old were you when she found out she had cancer?
22 years
How old were you when she passed away?
25 years
How did knowing that your mother had cancer affect your life?
Difficult to put into words. It changed everything for me. My whole outlook on life: what’s important, what’s trivial, who really matters, what should you prioritize. I was very close to my mom my whole life. So, it really shook up a lot of things for me….I may have never verbalized some of these things before, but if there’s one thing that I really “learned” from it, it was the importance of making every day count.
What do you intend to accomplish by climbing Pikes Peak?
On a personal level:
- This year’s climb is all about teamwork! It’s not just “my climb” anymore, and I’m thrilled that there are others who are “upping the ante” to try and tackle this challenge. I’m hopeful that this will be a domino effect and that as each year goes by more and more will join us on these challenges. My body might make me “retire” soon, so I’m hoping that there will be many more who can take on these challenges in the future and I’ll be a “consultant.”
On a fundraising level:
- I think this challenge pales in comparison to that of a patient fighting cancer or what their family has to endure, so I hope that this figurative challenge will inspire others to support this effort. I’m hoping that we can form a team of at least 10 and that each can raise $3,000 to $5,000. If we can accomplish this in our first year as a team, then the future looks very bright.
After you have completed this feat, do you have any plans for future adventures?
Absolutely! I want this to be an annual “challenge” event. From a selfish standpoint, it will allow me to keep going out and tackling new adventures. But from the fundraising standpoint, I think it would be fantastic to create a community of donors, who each year will support the next challenge and follow along on the web to see the pictures and the write-ups. Who knows, maybe we can even inspire some folks to join up and take on the next challenge with me! Then our network of supporters and donors could exponentially grow!
We understand that you have partnered with The Champions for Life, a committee of Goodwill Ambassadors for the Van Elslander Cancer Center. On February 27, 2009, the Champions for Life hosted their 7th Annual Event at the Van Elslander Cancer Center. What will the proceeds from your climb and this event be used for this time?
Funds raised from the Champions for Life Event and donations made to support the climb will benefit the following women’s overall breast care services at the Liggett Breast Center in the Van Elslander Cancer Center at St. John Hospital and Medical Center:
- Early detection and breast cancer education for the community
- Assistance for the uninsured or underinsured for mammograms and other diagnostic procedures
- Support and assistance with the delivery of radiation therapy to patients undergoing breast cancer treatment
- Support for breast cancer patients attending grief recovery programs
- Costs of treating Lymphedema, a condition often associated with cancer that does not allow the proper drainage of the lymphatic system causing swelling, discomfort and pain
- Assistance with genetic counseling and testing
- Provision of ancillary devices needed during breast cancer treatments
Since my mother passed away from breast cancer, this cause is very important to me. The advancement of new technology and care is so important in fighting cancer. Cancer impacts all of us in some way. Please join us in the fight against cancer as Champions for Life Climb to Beat Breast Cancer.
