One Berkshire family, 11,000km and tackling minus 15-degree blizzards – all to help fund scholarships for Nepal schoolchildren.
Standing at Everest Base Camp the Russell-Smith family from Bracknell is now half-way through an epic adventure: to visit the 14 highest Base Camps in the world. Their aim? To raise £12,000 to fund scholarships for Nepal schoolchildren through the Nimsdai Foundation.
Martina, originally from Slovakia, and British-born John, are both teachers – John is the Head of Geography and Travel and Tourism at Edgbarrow Secondary School in Crowthorne, while Martina is a student teacher at Reading University. For them, education is not just a job- it’s a passion that has seen them trek thousands of kilometres through Nepal and Pakistan to raise money for scholarships for children in some of the poorest countries in the world. The pairs’ sons, William (10) and Ben (12), have been with them every step of the way.
They have just returned from trekking with Elite Exped to Everest and Lhotse Base Camps in Nepal, and they took on the Five Pakistan 8,000m mountain Base Camps last year: Broad Peak, K2, G1, G1 and Nanga Parbat.
The family said the journey so far had been ‘one of the most rewarding — and challenging — experiences’ of their lives. John said: “The highs are unforgettable: standing together beneath Everest and Lhotse, the pure beauty of the Himalayas, and feeling the connection and privilege of doing this together. But it hasn’t all been easy. The lows are real too: bitter cold mornings at -15°C, moments of exhaustion and doubt; every difficult step has been worth it. We are determined to help support the amazing work of the Nimsdai Foundation.”
The family now have seven Base Camps to go. Once they complete it they may also be world record breakers as well as philanthropists – they will be the first family to do the challenge.
Executive Director of the Nimsdai Foundation, Glen Mallen said the family’s fundraising efforts would be ‘vital,’ adding: “Currently in Nepal there are more than 420,000 children out of school. We are working at a grass-roots level to provide education programmes and scholarships – with a focus on education equity. We are proud to have such great advocates as the Russell-Smith family helping spread word about our mission.”