A Glow Up Ireland star who climbed Kilimanjaro to raise money in memory of her mum has revealed she almost 'didn't make it' to the top.
Megan O'Connor - who appeared on the RTÉ show in 2021 - took on the challenge on October 18 in memory of her mother Anne O'Connor, who died when she was just 59 from Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) in 2022.
Megan joined forces with the FTD brothers, Jordan and Cian Adams from Redditch, Worcestershire, to climb the African mountain to raise vital funds for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland as well as funding its own research and awareness initiatives.
Speaking after her climb, she admitted Kilimanjaro was 'not for the faint-hearted.' Megan said: 'When I tell you, Kilimanjaro is not for the faint of heart, I almost didn’t make it up!'
The Co Leitrim native told of the poignant moment a 'rogue white feather' landed on her hand the moment she was about to leave base camp.
'Leaving base camp at 11:30pm and a rogue white feather landing on my hand was the most unexpected thing, and in hindsight I’m sure was a little sign from mum.'
But she said she thought she had 'bitten off more than I could chew' as she struggled with the altitude off Stella Point.
'But just off Stella Point, the altitude hit me hard and I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew, but the amazing porters, the amazing individuals I was surrounded by, and of course the most amazing human @siobhainmcgovern got me to the top! And mum, I did it.
'It’s all a little bit of a blur, but it was one of the most beautiful and spectacular sights I’ve ever seen.'
Megan climbed the famous mountain with her best pal Siobhain McGovern and managed to raise almost £8,000 for the FTD Brothers Foundation, while the whole group who went on the trip raised a total of £116,000 so far.
The brothers gained international attention by running 33 marathons in 33 days across every county in Ireland and the London Marathon to raise over £1.9 million for frontotemporal dementia (FTD) research and awareness after their mother Geraldine died from the illness.
Earlier this year, Megan told us how her mum was a 'kind-hearted, lovely woman' with the 'sweetest soul' before she passed in February 2022.
‘She was such a kind-hearted, lovely woman. I know everyone would say that about their mammy.. she was the sweetest soul.
‘She wouldn’t be the loudest woman in the room, but she had a heart that radiated. She was a loving and sensitive soul and a creative woman.’
