Husband and wife team complete Mount Everest Climb for a Cure challenge for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
British couple Graeme and Leanne Carling have successfully completed their Mount Everest Climb for a Cure challenge, arriving at Base Camp Everest yesterday afternoon following a gruelling 8-day journey up the Himalayas. The couple, who are the founders of international family investment office The Carling Group, were completing the challenge to fundraise for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, an organisation they have supported over the past four years.
Earlier in the month the philanthropic couple set off on their trek from their home in Dubai, flying to Kathmandu in Nepal. Their journey started with a short flight from Kathmandu to Lukla Airport, dubbed the most dangerous airport in the World, before beginning their 5,436m hike to Base Camp. Despite relatively fair-weather conditions throughout the trek, the high altitudes made breathing difficult and each 8 – 10-hour day particularly challenging.
Graeme and Leanne Carling, and their multiple businesses, announced the decision to support JDRF in 2019, following the diagnosis of their daughter Blaire, as suffering from Type-1 Diabetes. Over the past four years the Carling family have raised money for JDRF in various ways including; completing a sponsored cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia in 2019, sponsoring the JDRF 100 Year Ball in Edinburgh in 2021, and in 2022 the couple’s son, Mitchell raised over £45,000 by raffling his Europa Cup Final tickets, splitting the proceeds between JDRF and Caudwell Children, another one of the family’s other chosen charities.
Speaking from Base Camp Everest, Leanne Carling commented; “Whilst the past eight days have been tough, it doesn’t compare to what Blaire, and every other sufferer of Type-1 Diabetes must go through. We are so grateful for the support that our friends and families have shown in joining us to donate money to JDRF. We are looking forward to getting off the mountain, and celebrating, but only after a good rest.”
In a bid to raise as much money for the charity as possible, Graeme and Leanne launched a JustGiving page which can be found here: justgiving.com/page/graeme-and-leanne-carling-1681063124419. At the time of publishing the total amount raised so far was over £2,500.
