Charity team conquer Kilimanjaro

Hartlepool United manager Colin Cooper has spoken from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro of his pride in completing the charity trek in memory of his son.

“I am emotional and proud,” he said. “I will be doing a couple of things in memory of Fin up here. It has been a heck of a day and it will take us another seven or eight hours to get back down to our camp but it’s been a marvellous team effort by everybody involved."

“What this group of 15 has done is pushed ourselves to our limit in the hope we can raise as much money as possible for children’s causes and charities."

A 15 strong team from Middlesbrough have reached the peak of Africa's highest mountain.

The walkers set out to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money for the Finlay Cooper Fund which supports a number of children's charities on Teesside.

Among the team members is former Middlesbrough FC player and newly appointed Hartlepool United manager Colin Cooper.

Former Middlesbrough FC player and newly appointed Hartlepool United manager Colin Cooper says excitement is rising among members of the team about to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.

A 15 strong group of walkers are climbing the Tanzanian mountain to raise funds for the Finlay Cooper Fund.

Speaking from Barranco Camp on June 11th, Colin Cooper said:

"The camp we're in is right below the mountain summit. I look up and I'm excited about the challenge ahead.

"I'm getting all the highs I enjoyed being a footballer - and I don't mean because I'm at 4000ft! I'm absolutely loving it! As the kids would say - I'm buzzing!"