Up Mount Aconcagua

IF THERE was a race this summer, it’s guaranteed that Mike Christensen and his fellow teammates were there, but below the surface, something much deeper was taking place.

Christensen is preparing for the biggest trek of his life, so far: climbing Aconcagua Mountain, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere, also known as “the stone sentinel” reaching 22,841 ft.

The Aconcagua Project (TAP) involves a number of individuals from Canada and the United States who are raising money for Youth For Christ (YFC) in order to build a youth centre in Bogata, Columbia.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge, but the purpose is to inspire youth, to show them that you can do incredible things when you work as team and rely on God,” says Christensen.

In order to pay for his travel expenses to the Andes Mountains in Latin America, Christensen created team Rona and found local businesses to sponsor this new racing and adventure team. This way, all the other money raised could go directly to the youth centre project.

Throughout the season, Christensen and his initial teammates Willy Muller, Travis Carter, Rudi Peters and Dr. Mark Forgie competed in numerous events around the area, including the Shames Mountain Hill Climb (placing fourth and fifth), Barkman Triathlon (first in masters and first in duathlon), 24 hrs of Onion Lake (first place as a team and third place solo), the Skeena River Challenge (first and third) and the All Seasons Half Marathon (first place), to name a few.

Christensen is now training for the big climb and is still hoping to raise $50,000 for the project. This is a huge dollar amount, but Christensen explains that the project leader, who’s also the director of YFC in Argentina, likes to dream big and aim high.

Christensen will continue to raise money once he returns from the trip, and although he’s unsure of how much he’s raised so far, he’s confident that it will take care of itself because the issue is current and important.

When complete, the centre will provide a place for youth with medical services and it will also work with other organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse.

But for now, Christensen’s focus is on the seven summits of Aconcagua, which can be daunting for even the most physically fit individuals.

“It’s only 20 per cent physical, 20 per cent lottery, whether your body acclimatizes and 60 per cent mental, that’s the toughest part,” says Christensen.

Christensen leaves on New Year’s Eve and will return to Terrace at the end of January.

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