Mark Straw is participating in the 2017 Dream Mountains Kilimanjaro climb, in support of the Ottawa Senators Foundation.
Currently a student in grade 12 I am a very active athletic person with a sense of adventure, I am very excited about this opportunity to be part of the Kilimanjaro Dream Team and I am looking forward to learning so many things from Shawn and the rest of this amazing team.
I have been heavily involved in sports ever since I can remember and I have been drafted twice to the central junior A hockey league which I am very proud of to have played at that level. I am currently playing football and my sports over the years have also included lacrosse, boxing, MMA, weight training, basketball, soccer, baseball and pretty much anything in between. Taking my fitness seriously I believe climbing the world’s tallest free Standing Mountain will challenge me in ways I could never have dreamed of, I enjoy the challenge of learning new things and working hard to achieve my goals.
My plan is for this to be the first of many climbs and I look forward to what will be a lifelong memory climbing Kilimanjaro with my father by my side.
I have chosen the Sens foundation as my charity as it is true to home in that I am both a huge hockey fan as well as the fact that this foundation works towards helping so many young people in our own backyard. I have mentioned the importance of physical activity and fitness to me and as you can see in the Sens foundation mission statement below this is something that certainly reflects my beliefs. Further to the physical aspect of the foundation I am pleased to know we will be helping young adults and children dealing with day to day mental health through counselling and awareness programs.
As a young adult I have already been tested and had much to deal with and like the challenges that I have faced and still face I see this climb as a reflection of the challenges I have been through. My goal is to help raise awareness to mental health issues in adolescence and let others who struggle with these challenges realize that they are not alone. With the funds raised I want to help give them somewhere to turn to, the hope for a future and the resources to climb to the top of their problems no matter how high a mountain it may seem.
‘The Ottawa Senators Foundation empowers children and youth to reach their full potential by investing in social recreation and education programs that promote both physical and mental wellness.’
Thank you in advance in helping me reach my goal to raise $5,000 for our Ottawa youth through the Sens foundation.
