Long Sutton's Olivia Roffe climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in memory of grandad Brian Osborn

A Long Sutton woman has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in memory of her beloved grandfather and is delighted to have raised more than £2,100 for charity in the process.

Olivia Roffe, who loves challenging herself, reached the summit of the 5,895m high mountain, in Tanzania, after a week of hiking.

The 23-year-old took on the epic climb in memory of her late grandad Brian Osborn, who passed away in 2015 after suffering from Lewy body Dementia (DLB) for more than a decade, to raise money for the DLB Society.

“The climb was absolutely amazing – I loved it,’ said Olivia, the manager of VM Gedney Newsagents, in Long Sutton.

“The last night was extremely difficult. We started the route to summit at 11pm and walked through the night – the last part is really steep, and we were climbing uphill for six hours.

“It was extremely cold, dark and we’d already done six full days of hiking and hadn’t really slept. I was exhausted and there were people turning back.

"Three out of our group of 12 didn’t make it to the top. We reached Stella Point just in time for sunrise, which was epic and then the final hour was a little bit easier.

“As soon as I got to the top I was so emotional – it was a mixture of relief and exhaustion, just because I had made it!”

Olivia completed the Lemosho route up Mount Kilimanjaro, which is the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain the world.

She had to contend with hot weather during the days and freezing temperatures at night but managed to avoid altitude sickness.

Olivia added: “It was just an amazing experience all round. We spent around 20 minutes on the summit taking photos. I was over the moon to be up there, but also keen to get down!

“I’ve more than doubled the original fundraising target I set myself, which is great too as this isn’t a big or well-known charity. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me.”

Olivia’s next challenge will be climbing to Everest Base Camp with a friend and then she’s hoping to find an even bigger and better adventure for her next fundraiser.

l DLB is a progressive dementia that leads to a decline in thinking, reasoning and independent function. The Lewy Body Society doesn’t receive any government funding and relies solely on charitable donations to fund its research. If you would like to donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/olivia-roffe