ADVENTURES THAT MOVE
I am an adventurer and outdoor educator from St. John's, Newfoundland. After summitting Mount McKinley in 2005, I set a goal of climbing the seven summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. Throughout this journey, I've aimed to inspire others to have big dreams and big goals by sharing my adventures online and through motivational speaking.
Every October since my mom, Denise, was diagnosed with breast cancer, I have run the Race for the Cure in her honour. I vividly remember the first time I wrote her name on my race bib. I was just learning to run and I wasn't sure I could do the entire five kilometers. During the race, there were times I could hardly breathe as I was overcome with so much emotion. After the race, I sent that race bib off to my mom with a note expressing my love and hopes for her recovery.
As each year has passed since then, I feel both sadness and anger as the list of names I added to my race bib grew. It seems as though every month I hear of a friend or family member that is affected by breast cancer. I'm going to miss this year's race. Instead of running shoes and T-shirt, I will be donning climbing boots and soft-shell jacket. Instead of writing my mom's name on my race bib, I will write it on my ice ax. Instead of running 5 km with thousands of others close to home, I will be an expedition climbing Pumori with Peak Freaks.
Pumori, a 7161-metre peak that sits across the valley from Mount Everest, is translated as Everest's daughter. I am dedicating this climb to my mother, a breast cancer survivor, and to all who have also had to make the mountainous journey through breast cancer. By honouring those who've faced breast cancer, I hope to heighten awareness of breast cancer prevention, screening, and early detection as well as raise funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
By climbing Everest's daughter, I hope to contribute to a future for all children that is free from the suffering caused by breast cancer. With each step in training and each step up the mountain, I will keep both the mountain and the larger cause for which I am climbing in mind. I will remember my mother's strength and courage in facing her treatment and draw upon that during the inevitable moments of doubt and discouragement as I attempt to become the first Canadian woman to summit Pumori.
I have set a fundraising goal of one dollar per metre of the peak. One hundred percent of the money raised through the climb will go directly to the foundation (i.e. none of it will go towards the costs of the climb).
There are two ways to contribute to Pumori: Climb for Awareness. You can donate online by clicking here or you can click here to download a form that can be submitted via mail. Thank you in advance for your support of both my climb and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
| Bio |
Dr. TA Loeffler brings 20 years of expertise leading people through significant life-changing experiences to every facet of her work. Her work and adventures have taken her to 35 different countries and five different continents
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| Sponsorship |
TA wants to carry the Newfoundland flag to the top of each of the seven summits and inspire youth every step along the way. TA cannot achieve her mission without your support. Check out the sponsorship opportunities.
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| Weekly Updates |
Read TA's first-person account of her preparations for each adventure. Details of TA’s training efforts for Everest, Aconcagua, Elbrus, and Denali as well as for kayaking and biking can be found here.
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Click here to book TA as a speaker for your event or conference.
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Please take a minute to
read some of the encouraging words others have written. Click here to add your own message of inspiration.
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