Martha Gilliland, a geophysicist and former UA provost and now a tutor with the Literacy Volunteers of Tucson, made it to the top of Mount Kiliminjaro on Wednesday.
The Tucson Weekly interviewed the 63-year-old Gilliland recently regarding her plans to climb the Tanzanian mountain and at the same time use the adventure as a way to help raise funds for the literacy organization.
An e-mail made its way to LVT’s Lisa Kemper from Gilliland’s daghter, Robin Renager:
I heard from my mom this morning (Friday) and she made it to the top of Mt. Kiliminjaro! The group had to summit a day earlier than planned because of extreme wind (50 mph), but they made it!
She thanks you all for your thoughts and prayers. She said she is certain that is what propelled her to the top that last day!
Congratulations, Martha!
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2008.
That’s nice.
What was it about what Martha was doing 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago that prevented her from realizing the importance of literacy and, most important, acting on it way back then?
Oh, the usual, working in academia and raising kids. You know, that kind of stuff.
aaaah