Courtney Richmond
23-year-old Courtney Richmond and a group of her fellow Waikato University Hillary Scholars have launched Trek to Nepal,
a campaign to trek the distance from New Zealand to Nepal to raise funds for Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust.
The inspiration for the 11,965-kilometre virtual trek came to the Master of Arts student in a dream. “I had a dream that
I was hiking on a mountain in Nepal with Sir Ed,” said Courtney. “I was struggling, and he said ‘come on, get up!’”
After a stressful year of study due to COVID-19 disruptions, the dream encounter with Sir Ed motivated Courtney to set
up Trek to Nepal with the help of fellow Hillary Scholars David Simes, Hannah Jensen, Jana Kivell and Kaydi O'Connor.
“If we’re all having a hard time in 2020, what is the rest of the world like? I thought about people in Nepal, and that
we need to do something to help,” said Courtney.
Participants can walk, pedal, climb, crawl, push, or do a combination of activities to add their distance to the
11,965-kilometre goal. The funds raised will go towards quality education, safe water and better healthcare in the
Everest region, as well as COVID-19 prevention and humanitarian support.
For the organisers, Trek to Nepal is an important part of giving back. “It’s a privilege to be a scholar,” said David
Simes. “That’s why we’re really passionate about honouring Sir Ed’s legacy and supporting the people of Nepal. The least
I can do for having a world-class education is walk!”
The virtual trek will begin on 9 November 2020. In the meantime, Courtney, David and their fellow Hillary Scholars are
welcoming anyone who wants to help reach the collective 11,965-kilometre goal and fundraise for the Himalayan Trust to
sign up at www.trektonepal.nzBackground information – Himalayan Trust
The Himalayan Trust was founded by Sir Edmund Hillary in the 1960s when he built the first schools and hospitals in the
foothills of Everest in the Solukhumbu District of Nepal. Since then, the Himalayan Trust has been working with local
communities to bring quality education, safe water and better healthcare to the region.
The Himalayan Trust provided immediate humanitarian support after the 2015 Nepal earthquake, and helped to rebuild
earthquake-strengthened infrastructure. The Trust is now also funding hygiene and medical supplies and PPE to prevent
the spread of COVID-19 in the Solukhumbu District.
For more information visit https://himalayantrust.org/Background information – Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Programme
The Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship is the University of Waikato's most prestigious student scholarship programme.
Named in honour of New Zealand's greatest adventurer, the programme educates scholars within the values of Sir Ed and
supports their growth and excellence in sport, creative and performing arts, academia, and leadership.
Hillary Scholars are supported to pursue their passion while completing their qualification at the University of Waikato
and receive tailored personal development and leadership training throughout their studies.
For more information visit https://www.waikato.ac.nz/about/hillary/