A FORMER Tavistock College student has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and raised a whopping £3,000 for charity.

Sophie Nicholls took on the extreme challenge for Meningitis Research Foundation and was one of only seven to make it to Uhuru Peak out of 22 that started the challenge.

Sophie said: ‘It took five and a half days to get up and down the mountain, of which one of those I was walking for 37 hours on an hour’s kip. With lack of sleep, altitude sickness and the temperature at -40 degrees Celsius, I don’t think anyone will begin to understand the uphill battle I had with not only the mountain and my physical endurance but the mental capacity to carry on. On summit night we could only see torches above us — some were so high up it seemed impossible that we were going to be able to walk that far. But we did. It was the craziest experience of my life but something I urge people to do. I’ve learned a lot about myself and I am still glowing after my success. Dreams are there to be chased.’

Sarah Jones, Principal at Tavistock College, added that Sophie was a real inspiration to other students and that the college was looking forward to Sophie coming in to share her experiences with other students.