Former rugby player Max Levene is entering the final stages of preparation as he attempts to become the first person with a tetraplegic spinal cord injury in a wheelchair to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this September and raise £20,000 for charity.

Max, who sustained an injury playing rugby for Truro School 14 years ago, says that the inspiration for his climb up one of the tallest mountains in the world stems from his time in Kenya, before his injury:

“Before my injury happened, my parents were living out in Kenya at the time,” he explains. “And you could see Mount Kilimanjaro over the border. We spent this one night in a safari park called Amboseli looking over the mountain by campfire and it was the most beautiful night.

(Image: RFU/IPF)

“I remember thinking that one day I’d just love to climb that mountain. There is something so majestic about it – there is nothing else surrounding it; it just rises from the earth. Then four months later I broke my neck and that was the end of thinking about those expeditions; it was more about survival.”

Alongside Max’s gruelling physical training schedule to ensure he can complete the challenge he has set himself, he has also been working on his mental resilience, which will be incredibly important throughout his climb.

He commented: “I think I’m equipped mentally to deal with quite a lot, as many people with spinal cord injuries are.

“The climb will be an interesting test of my mental resilience. I have always prided myself on the resilience that I have built through dealing with my injury, giving me the ability to usually take the good from dark moments; however, in the extreme environment I will see how this translates. I need to focus on not pushing myself beyond my limits, but making sure I am at my limit.

 

“I have been talking to others who have climbed the mountain so I can grasp what I will face and the ways they coped. One main point that has come up a lot is the mental and physical fatigue that altitude brings, so with that in mind I will be doing altitude training for the last month before the climb and training up to 1,000 metres higher than the mountain itself.

“One of the people I have been speaking to is former Bath prop, David Barnes, who is a member of the IPF squad. He has shared some useful advice from his experience of climbing Kilimanjaro, which I’ll be putting into practice.

“I have also been lucky enough to talk to Jonny Wilkinson, who is also part of the IPF squad – to meet and have a chat with him was definitely a bucket list thing! We shared learnings from each other about mindset and focus. It was really interesting hearing his thoughts on making sure you enjoy the pressure moments and cherish them by being in a place where you can fully experience things. He was also super keen to learn himself and was really attentive. It was a fantastic call and will definitely be something I will remind myself of in any hard moments.

“Jonny has also kindly sent me a signed shirt to help with my fundraising, and I also have a signed Steve Borthwick shirt and some of Nick Mullins’ Rugby World Cup commentary notes, so I’m looking forward to auctioning them as part of my fundraising.”

The ascent up Kilimanjaro will be completed with a support crew, including a group of Max’s closest friends, some of whom were with him when he sustained his injury.

“I’ve got a great group coming with me and around me, so I am sure we will all help each other cope. It’s really nice to do something with those guys who were with me when I broke my neck. I think they had a similar thought to me at the time around ‘what’s his life going to be like?’

“There are lots of people around me who have helped me become who I am now, so to share that with them will be really amazing. To be honest, I’m a bit more worried about them getting themselves up the mountain than me!”

Max is aiming to raise £20,000 for the RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF) and The Inspire Foundation. Both charities have supported Max since his accident, and this is the perfect way for him to give back.

The IPF is the official charity of England Rugby and supports players at all levels of the game from grassroots to professional, who have sustained life-changing injuries such as a catastrophic spinal cord or acute, severe traumatic brain injury whilst playing rugby union in England. The charity also helps to prevent future injuries through research and education.

Max said: “The support of the RFU Injured Players Foundation made such a difference to my recovery and my life. They provide everything from immediate practical and emotional support for a player who has experienced an injury like mine, to help and reassurance for your family and long-term financial aid and specialised equipment.

“The IPF also puts a big focus on supporting players to return to education or work, and to take part in activities to be able to live life to the full.  They are a lifeline to those of us who have sustained this kind of injury and it’s reassuring to know they will be there to support us and our families for the rest of our lives.

“The money I raise will help the IPF continue to fund important research into how people’s lives can be improved after injury, and also how the risk of these injuries in rugby could be reduced. 

“The Inspire Foundation is also a charity I truly believe in and recently became a patron for. It conducts research into spinal cord paralysis, some of which is jointly funded with the IPF, and is particularly interested in ‘here and now’ issues and how they can use the latest technology to improve the quality of life for those living with tetraplegia and paraplegia.

“Inspire helps to fund research projects like the Bionic Bladder, which aims to use neurostimulation techniques to control the bladder and bowel. This would allow people with continence issues to either prevent incontinence or empty the bladder or bowel at the flick of a switch. That would have incredible benefits for far more people than just those with spinal injuries, and we can help to make it happen.”

Max’s Kilimanjaro expedition is the latest in a series of ventures Max has embarked on to inspire others since his accident. In addition to forging a career as an economist, Max’s quest for adventure has seen him complete a sponsored skydive, set up his own podcast and make a foray into the world of stand-up comedy. Or as Max refers to it with a wry smile, “sit down, stand-up comedy.’

It is testament to Max’s mental strength and physical ability for him to be where he is today. As he reflects on his forthcoming adventure he said: “If I do it, I’m back to where I wanted to be pre-injury.”

If you’ve been inspired by Max’s story, you can support him in his Kilimanjaro quest via his GoFundMe page.

You can follow Max’s journey to the summit of Kilimanjaro on instagram @max_levene  and X @max_levene1 or his YouTube page.