Climb Again, the local non-profit that provides climbing therapy to children and young people with disabilities, has launched a fundraising campaign for Romania's national paraclimbing team. The nine team members, 4 with visual impairments and 5 with physical disabilities, want to go to the Paralympic Games and complete their 7Summits project.

The national paraclimbing team started its activity in 2016 and has won more than 50 gold, silver and bronze medals at World Paraclimbing Championships and other national and international competitions.

Those who want to support their hard work moving forward and "Become an invisible sponsor of the National Paraclimbing Team" can do so through online donations here.

Răzvan Nedu, Cosmin Candoi, Adriana Tofan, Tonel Botezatu, Stefan Dogaru, Alexandru Benchea, Liviu Matei, Florin Herciu, and Maria Herciu have already managed to bring home several gold and silver medals at the Climbing World Championships and want to hear the national anthem at the Paralympic Games as well. 

Also, the Climb Again athletes are already at the third conquered peak, Kilimanjaro (5895m), from the 7Summits project. Their goal is to conquer the world's highest peaks on each continent. 

Blind climber Alexandru Benchea kicked off the 7Summits project in 2020, while this year, on Romania's National Day, Răzvan Nedu, Adriana Tofan and Liviu Matei reached the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m). For Nedu, this was the third peak after Elbrus (5,642 m) and Aconcagua (6,962 m).

"I am very proud of what we have managed to build at Climb Again. And I'm even more proud when I see these amazing athletes overcoming all barriers and showing all young people with disabilities that they can live independent lives," said Claudiu Miu, founder of Climb Again.

"This fundraising campaign for the national paraclimbing team, which results in the names of the donors written in Braille, was born from the reality that every blind person in Romania goes through. That of often feeling invisible to others and even to society. We want to make these athletes, who cross all kinds of limits every day, visible," he added.

Climb Again, the coordinator of Romania's paraclimbing team, is a non-profit affiliated with the Romanian Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (FRAE), founded and led by Claudiu Miu, former Balkan climbing champion. Since 2014, it has been organizing free sessions of climbing therapy, physical therapy and psychological counselling for children and young people with disabilities.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Climb Again)