Fulton cancer survivor summits Africa’s highest mountain

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It is an emotional homecoming for Tim Conners and his dad that has been years in the making.

“Just to be there seven years ago and him to tell me you have cancer to us standing on the highest mountain on the top of Africa. What a journey,” Conners said.

Loved ones, including his dog, Lang, welcomed Tim home after he reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

After beating cancer that stole his sight, Tim has been on a mission to overcome the seemingly impossible.

“I can’t see we’re at the top. I know we’re at the top. People are telling me you’re at the top, but then when I reach out and touch the sign that’s like the real moment for me. Like we’re there. We did this,” Conners said.

After 18 months of planning and 53 hours of climbing, Tim and his team, which included his dad and uncle, reached the top.

Tim said it is still to soon to grasp the gravity of his journey.

He did it to raise awareness and money for all of the charities that helped him beat his illness.

“And to have him pay it forward is the thing I’m most proud of. We saw a lot of kids along the way that didn’t make it and family members who have been beaten by cancer and time does it for all of them,” Betsy Conners, Tim’s mother, said.

The climb was for Tim was grueling.

Cancer and the treatment that followed has left his body vulnerable to the elements.

“We had a lot of support, a lot of perseverance and a lot of love along the way and with all those things combined, we as a group were able to do this,” Conners said.

https://cnycentral.com/news/local/fulton-cancer-survivor-summits-africas-tallest-mountain