Juliet (Jett) Van Ruyven of White Rock is no stranger to overcoming adversity.
She was born in the village of Padar in the Philippines and grew up in poverty. Her family shared a one-room house with bamboo floors, and Van Ruijven, the third eldest of 12 children, sold fruit and vegetables on the beach to help support her siblings.
Thanks to my education, I was able to realize my childhood dream of living in a mansion and flying jets around the world. Since arriving on the Semiahmoo Peninsula some 37 years ago, she has set foot on every continent, including Antarctica.
This month, the mother of two has literally reached whole new heights. She climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
This dormant volcano in Tanzania is Africa’s highest peak and the world’s tallest freestanding mountain. One of the Seven Summits, an estimated 30,000 people climb it each year. Just over half of them were successful.
Van Ruyven, the former owner of two digital printing companies, turned 65 in January. Just a few months later, I heard that my friend’s husband was planning to climb Kilimanjaro for the third time in the fall. She said this sparked her “adventurous spirit” and set her own goal of conquering 5,895 meters.
She’s no stranger to hiking, but her list of accomplishments also includes the 129-kilometre Camino de Compostela in Portugal and Spain and the Inca Trail in Peru. Van Ruijven took a moment to explore whether age matters when tackling such a daunting challenge. But she quickly put those concerns aside after learning that one of her fellow climbers was 80 years old.
Inspired, she wanted to inspire others too.
“I work hard to prepare for climbing at my age, so I thought I might be able to help others who are on the fence about doing something they could have done if they had mustered up the courage to do it.” ” Van Ruijven told Peace Arch. News before trekking.
This sentiment is similar to one she shared during her first PAN appearance in 2005, when she was featured after writing and self-publishing her autobiography, Juliet’s Story.
“I want to be an example for many people,” the 46-year-old told reporters at the time.
“Big dreams do come true. We need to get the message across that there is hope. I am sowing seeds of hope.”
Thousands of copies of the book were printed in the Philippines, and Van Ruyven received speaking invitations from all over the world. Nearly 20 years later, Juliet’s Story is still available on Amazon in both hardcover and Kindle.
Just before leaving for Africa, Van Liven realized he wanted to climb “for a higher purpose” and raised money to support high school students in the Philippines, whose parents lacked the income to support their children’s education. He said he had started his activities.
“I used to be just like them,” she said in an email interview.
“Thanks to the kindness of others, I was able to pursue higher education and my siblings were able to continue attending school. This was a team effort for my family to support each other. .”
With the help of one of her daughters, she launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $1 for every foot of Kilimanjaro, or more than $19,000. As of Thursday (October 24), $2,350 had been donated, and Van Ruijven hopes the cause will resonate with those who read her story. All proceeds will be managed by local teachers and distributed directly to beneficiaries as needed, she said.
She said training for the climb is a mental and physical challenge, with extreme weather and high altitude being the most difficult obstacles. Van Rooyven prepared himself by tackling White Rock’s toughest routes and North Vancouver’s Grouse Grind and BCMC trails many times.
Fortunately, the car accident that occurred in May was not catastrophic, but it strengthened her desire to “always enjoy life.”
But two days before the climb, another “problem” nearly derailed her hopes of reaching the summit. When she almost passed out, she said, doctors told her climbing guide that if it happened again somewhere along the route, they would have to turn back.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Van Ruijven said summit day was the second biggest challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro, after overcoming the effects of high altitude on the mind and body.
“Your stamina, physical and mental department will be challenged,” she warned others considering the trek.
“It was a steep climb for hours to the top and then a quick descent. We were traveling over moon-like terrain, loose gravel…and patches of large boulders and lava rock.
“These elements will test your deep core, push you to the limits, and turn on your divine spirit and inner forces that guide you. Be prepared for long hikes of up to 18 hours at high altitude. ” Then descend over 2,700 meters (9,000 feet), all in one day.
Van Ruijven returned to her home soil on October 20th after a week-long post-summit safari adventure with her husband.
In addition to continuing her adventures, she remains focused on reaching her fundraising goals and sharing her story directly with service organizations and others interested in having her as a featured speaker. He said he was excited to be able to do it.
“I believe we all have the ability to reach the pinnacle in life,” she said.
“I not only conquered climbing Kilimanjaro, I conquered myself and learned to be at peace with whatever happens around me.”
Van Ruyven can be reached at jhetvanruyven@gmail.com.
