World First Travel Insurance scales new heights to Kilimanjaro
18 March 2011 09:19
Sarah Knight, Director of Sarah West Recruitment Ltd, from Exeter
Devon-based travel insurance specialist, World First Travel Insurance, was recently delighted to provide travel insurance for Sarah Knight on her charity trek up Kilimanjaro and is equally glad she is home safe and well.
Sarah, Director of Sarah West Recruitment Ltd, from Exeter, decided to take on the challenge to raise money for a children's charity, Sparks, as well achieving a lifelong ambition to climb the world famous mountain.
Martin Rothwell, Managing Partner of World Travel Insurance says, "We are a family-run business that prides itself on its ability to offer expert advice and a range of very competitive travel insurance policies. Being a travel insurance specialist, we can tailor policies to individual needs and travel plans for people up to the age of 100."
Getting mountaineering and trekking travel insurance was the simplest step in Sarah's adventure for which she spent seven months fundraising for Sparks, the children's medical research charity; to date she has raised £4,000 to help them in their work to give babies the best possible start in life, so that a medical condition or disability at birth is not a barrier to opportunity and fulfilment.
Sarah says, "I know the excellent reputation World First Travel Insurance has. If anything had happened to me I knew I would be well looked after and that World First would take care of my family too. I didn't even consider going anywhere else."
World First Travel Insurance provided Sarah's adventure travel insurance single trip policy with extra cover for her walking at altitude for just £45. The travel insurance specialist automatically covers over 100 sports and offers further options to cover a wide range of hazardous activities.
Sarah adds, "Having a policy from World First gave me total peace of mind, which was really important when I had so much else to think about and organise. The hike was absolutely incredible; I would say it that it's up there with childbirth in terms of sense of achievement and pain. It was extremely gruelling; I was suffering with acute mountain sickness which left me with severe headaches and fatigue. But the view of Kenya and the foothills from the peak of Kilimanjaro was stunningly beautiful. It was such an emotional place for me and all the amazing people that I trekked with."
During her hike Sarah could plot her progress using an innovative website that used GPS positioning. More than 1500 people visited the site, over six days to keep track of where Sarah was upto on her mission to scale the inactive volcano, which peaks at almost 6,000 metres above sea level. Some of the most avid followers were Sarah's daughter and her class mates.
Sarah added, "I feel I'm literally back down to earth with a bump, but the Kilimanjaro hike was the first thing on my 'bucket list' of things to do. I also plan to go to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup and visit the Great Wall of China. World First Travel Insurance will be with me all the way."