Reflections from Mount Kilimanjaro

​Archbold Oncologist Esther Tan, MD, has aided many patients on their journey through the challenges of cancer. This September, she completed an impressive journey of her own. While climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, Tan took inspiration from the journeys her patients face bravely every day. ​

Tan lives an active lifestyle, finding time to run five miles a day outside of her important work at the Archbold Cancer Center. But, with the exception of a trip to the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in 2022, hiking or mountain climbing isn’t an activity she is typically drawn to. 

“One of my friends climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and told me to do it,” Tan shared. “I didn’t think I could do it, but she gave me confidence in myself. I wanted to challenge myself both mentally and physically.”

With a goal in mind, Tan set her sights on the highest peak in Africa and began her training. Her preparation for climbing one of the world’s tallest peaks began in Thomasville’s tallest building, Archbold’s North Tower.

“I walked up and down the stairs at Archbold for an hour every week for nine months,” she explained. “I carried a 20 lb. pack to replicate my gear.”

Her longest stair climb was 144 flights up and down, all within an hour. She continued her usual 5-mile daily run and added walking around Thomasville with the 20 lb. pack to her routine. A month before leaving for Tanzania, she intensified her training.

“I added walking on a treadmill at maximum incline for 90 minutes straight and increased my pack weight to 25 lbs.,” Tan said.

​There are several routes hikers can take to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tan’s group took the longest route, the northern circuit, because it provides the most time for acclimatization. A slower ascent allows the body to acclimate to the lower oxygen levels of higher altitudes. Thomasville is situated at an elevation of just 279 feet above sea level. Kilimanjaro’s peak rises an incredible 19,341 feet above sea level. The ascent to Uhuru Peak took 6.5 days, and the descent took 1.5 days.

​Each of the days spent ascending the mountain covered a variety of conditions as Kilimanjaro rises from the rainforest to the alpine desert and finally to the snow-capped arctic zone. The first six days of hiking, each between about three and six miles, finally brought Tan and her group to School Hut, one of Kilimanjaro’s base camps. The next day, summit day, proved to be the most challenging of the journey. Waking early before sunrise, the group hiked seven straight hours with minimal breaks. To cope with the challenge of the steep, frigid climb, Tan recalled the advice she offers to each of her patients at the Archbold Cancer Center.

“Meditation was the thing that kept me going during those seven hours,” Tan recalled. “I preach to my patients that exercise and meditation help with fatigue, and it really does.”

Her experience working cohesively with her group to overcome the challenges of the climb reminded her of the teamwork exhibited every day at Archbold Cancer Center.

“My guide told me that we work as a team to reach the top,” she said. “That resonated with me because I always tell my patients that we work as a team to help them get through treatment.”

The hard work paid off for Tan when she reached Uhuru Peak in the morning and took in the views.

“I’ll always remember the views above the cloud line and the amazing view into Kilimanjaro’s volcanic crater,” she recalled of her time at the peak. “I also remember the skies throughout the climb. You could see the stars every night, and the sunrise was amazing on summit day.”

Perhaps the most memorable aspect of Tan’s climb was the people of Tanzania. She remembers how loving, kind, and accommodating they were during her visit to their country.

Tan says she believes that anyone can achieve anything they put their mind to. Even so, she was still in disbelief that she had completed such a significant climb. The climb downhill was no easy feat in itself, but she made it down the mountain and back to the lowlands of South Georgia.

​Tan was back in Thomasville earlier this month to participate in another, albeit less strenuous, climb. Running alongside cancer survivors, family members, and her Archbold team members, she ascended Old Monticello Road and crossed the finish line at the Archbold Cancer Center. The Pink Run, an annual recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, promotes the link between obesity and cancer, as well as the early detection of breast cancer and overall healthy living.​

Tan has already identified her next challenges for herself. She has her sights set on a hike to Mount Everest’s Base Camp in 2028. In the meantime, she hopes to visit other great hiking destinations, including the Grand Canyon, Cinque Terre, and the Dolomites. 

More than the view from any peak, she looks forward to hearing the sound of the bell ring at the Archbold Cancer Center, a symbol of a completed treatment journey.

“My patients inspire me to make the most of every day and face adversity head on,” Tan said. “It is truly an honor to stand beside them throughout their fight.”