Ain’t no mountain high enough for this principal

To The Haldimand Press

RAINHAM—For Nancy Norton, Principal at Rainham Central School, this summer brought a chance to cross an item off her bucket list.

And, this bucket list item just happened to be 19,341 feet tall.

“Every year I choose a personal challenge to work towards, and this year, it was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro,” said Norton, who spent eight days completing the climb with an adventuring group of five, led by an intrepid guide.

“After a busy school year, it’s nice to give yourself a completely different kind of goal and choosing something that’s outside of my professional life and family life can bring a restorative sense of balance.”

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Norton is no stranger to activities requiring sustained endurance – she’s completed four Ironman triathlons and runs outdoors year-round – but this experience exceeded any expectations she had.

She describes the downtime as similar to camping on the side of the mountain; however, because climbers go through four very distinct climate zoneas as they summit Kilimanjaro, knowing how to pack lightly and effectively was key.