KEN HUTT on PARAGLIDING EVEREST FOR END POLIO NOW

For most of us, climbing Mount Everest is only a dream, but Ken Hutt planned on, not only climbing Mount Everest but paragliding off the summit. He embarked on a three year journey planning and preparing for the expedition but just a few thousand metres short of the goal, Ken Hutt was forced to abandon the mission due to a chest infection, believed to be pneumonia. However, the expedition proved a success as an End Polio Now flag was taken to the summit, $250,000 was raised to fight Polio, the Rotary End Polio Now received enormous attention and a documentary was made about the climb and the campaign, all thanks to Ken's dream.


PARAGLIDING EVEREST FOR END POLIO NOW

In 2022, Ken Hutt embarked upon an expedition to raise money for the End Polio Now campaign by paragliding off Mount Everest in Nepal. The first problem was getting a permit from the Nepalese government. Since 340 people have already died making the climb, the government weren't keen to issue a permit for someone to 'jump off' the 8,848 metre high mountain. Finally they did relent and a permit was issued for Ken to paraglide from 8,000 metres. The whole expedition was also to be featured in a documentary produced by Queensland University and directed by specialist adventure film maker, Dr Joe Carter.

Ken had previously trekked to Everest Base Camp in 2019 and in 2014 he glided off the summit of the world's sixth highest mountain, Choy Oyu in Tibet. After 3 years planning and preparing for the event, the team spent a week climbing to the base camp and acclimatising before beginning the trek to the summit. However, Ken got covid and developed a life-threatening chest infection at camp 2 (6400m). He had no choice but to descend as there was no medical aid or rescue beyond that camp. It was heartbreaking but it was the only decision he could make. 

Although the jump had to be called off, the expedition was still a success. The remaining climbers took an End Polio Now banner to the summit. The expedition not only raised $250,000 for the fight against polio but it highlighted the disease and the ongoing Rotary campaign to eradicate it from the earth.

Polio is an insidious, potentially fatal infectious disease that strikes young children. It is historically the world’s greatest cause of disability and can cause permanent paralysis but it can be prevented by simple vaccination. Rotary began the fight against polio back in 1985 when there were 350,000 new cases reported every year, spread across 125 countries. With persistent efforts through Rotary’s End Polio Now vaccination campaign, the cases of polio have been reduced by more than 99 percent, but until it is totally eradicated then the threat remains. 

KEN HUTT

Ken Hutt has been a member of the Rotary Club of Berry for 12 years. During this time he has done some amazing fund raising for Rotary projects. In 2019, he took a group of Rotarians to Mount Everest base camp raising $185,000. He circumnavigated Tasmania to help raise money for Shelterbox, only breaking the journey to fly to PNG to take part in another Shelterbox fundraiser, walking the Kokoda Trail. In 2022, he embarked upon an expedition to paraglide off Mount Everest.

Ken was a member of the Police Rescue Squad before becoming a rural contractor and cattle breeder. He also did some volunteer work with Father Chris O'Reilly's Youth Off the Streets project. Since returning from Everest, he has travelled around Australia raising more funds for Polio Plus by showing the movie of his assault on Everest. He also travelled back to Nepal to paraglide off Lobuche Peak in the Himalayas to record more film footage.

CONTACT:          Ken Hutt              0418 205225.            ken.hutt@outlook.com  















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