Terminally ill man believed to be the first cancer patient to climb Mount Everest
Ian Toothill, given just months to live after a recurrence of colon cancer, summitted Mount Everest on Tuesday. He is believed to be the first cancer patient to reach the mountain’s peak.
Toothill, a 47-year-old personal trainer, was first diagnosed with cancer in June 2015 and went into remission less than a year later. When the cancer returned, he was told it was terminal. Toothill then set out to climb Everest while raising money for charity. Thus far he has raised a little more than £5,500 of his £220,000 goal.
One of Toothill’s friends, a supporter of English soccer club Sheffield United, donated £1,000, after Toothill, a fan of Sheffield Wednesday, agreed to plant the rival club’s flag at the summit.
• Man arrested for climbing Mount Everest without permit was found hiding in cave
On his fundraising page, Toothill said he had dreamed of climbing Mount Everest since he was a child.
“I'm determined to prove anything is possible, no matter what your situation,” he wrote.
