Oscar Burrow, a six-year-old from Lancaster, UK, is embarking on a journey to climb 12 of the highest mountains in the UK. He has a goal of becoming the youngest person to summit Mount Everest someday. Oscar was inspired by Sir Edmund Hillary’s climb of Mount Everest he saw in school. His father, Matt Burrow, tried to explain the realities of the challenge to him but ultimately supports his son’s dream and ambition.
And so Oscar, who has a passion for rock climbing, mountaineering and Bear Grylls, is embarking on a challenge to summit 12 UK mountains whose total height is comparable to that of Mount Everest. Oscar has already conquered 6 mountains, with the first being Inglebrough in the Yorkshire Dales on October 9, 2022, followed by Snowdon in Llanberis and Caernarfon to be climbed between February 16-18. The goal is to complete the challenge by reaching the summit of Ben Nevis in Scotland on May 29, which marks the 70th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. The completion date was chosen to encourage ambition and commemorate the landmark event.
A Noble Effort By A 6-Year-Old
Oscar is using this mountain climbing challenge to raise funds for Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley. The hospice provides respite and palliative care for children and their families. Oscar’s aim is to help children at the hospice go on holiday. The hospice has special lodges, two located by the seaside and two in the Lake District, which provide a much-needed break for families and a place to create lasting memories with loved ones.
Oscar’s grandad, Mark, says Oscar had never done serious hill walking before but quickly took to the challenge after trying a local hill in September. Despite challenging weather conditions, Oscar has pressed on and even found a favorite mountain, Blencathra in the Lake District, which he climbed with a friend. Oscar’s scariest moment was on Helvellyn in the Lake District when he almost got blown away and had to be held by his grandad and dad. Overall, the weather has not deterred Oscar from reaching his goal of raising funds for the children’s hospice.
His mother, Kim Burrow, and sister, Ada, have joined him on some hikes. The support for Oscar’s fundraising challenge has been impressive, raising over £3,200 and receiving many inspiring comments. Some comments have come from people whose families have gone through similar experiences to those Oscar is raising funds for. The support for Oscar’s challenge is not just limited to the UK, as a donation of 250 dollars was made from someone in the US. In the future, Oscar hopes to become the youngest person to summit Mount Everest and has told his grandfather that he has seven years to do so, based on his research.
Oscar’s grandfather stated that he is proud of Oscar for his positive outlook and love of climbing, and hopes to be there with him one day when he reaches the top of Mount Everest. Oscar’s catchphrase “I will do it” is meant to inspire other young adventurers. Pascale Harvie, the president and general manager at JustGiving, called Oscar a true inspiration for taking on such a challenging feat at such a young age. The fundraising link can be accessed here & updates on the progress of the challenge can be found here.
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