WASHINGTON – The Georgetown softball team was busy this summer as they took some well-deserved time off as well as challenged themselves and each other to do some amazing things. One student-athlete in particular, Abbey Schiller, took the summer to push herself to new heights as she traveled to Tanzania to hike the sixth-highest peak in the world, Mt. Kilimanjaro. 
 
The sophomore traveled to Tanzania with her father, Jon, sister, Alex, and cousin Ayden at the end of July after a lengthy travel process from the DMV to the African east coast. The group had less than 24 hours after arriving in the country to make it to the base of the peak before beginning the hike.
 
The foursome made the 20-mile climb to the summit in seven days and made it back down the mountain in just one. The 11,431-foot ascent is a first for Schiller, but fortunately her father, Jon, tackled the mountain ten years ago and was able to help the Schiller family prepare for the monstrous task. Schiller described the journey as a 'once in a lifetime' adventure and she was grateful to have the opportunity to do it with her dad, sister and cousin. While the four of them each had their own packs to carry with them to the summit, porters accompanied the group and assisted them with the climb, carrying the gear they would need over the week.
 
Each person was only able to carry three liters of water with them for the whole trip and they had to bring all food they would consume with them for more than 21 meals over the seven days. Throughout the night, they slept in 20-below sleeping bags on the slide of the peak as the winds whipped from multiple directions. During the day they passed time by doing O.O.T.D. blogs or better known as Outfit of the Day videos. The group was accompanied by a couple hundred other hikers and their guides who all moved at their own pace in an attempt to reach the summit. Once the group reached the top, they were limited to only 20 minutes of time at the summit due to the extreme altitude. The Hoya took a photo with her family overlooking the mountain range to mark such a historic event. 
 
After the climb concluded, the four traveled to the Serengeti for a safari to see the local wildlife and made it over to see the Ngorongoro Crater which was a dream of Schiller's. After 17 days in Africa, they made their way back to the States before Schiller returned to the Hilltop to begin her sophomore year. 
 
"Mt. Kilimanjaro taught me so many things about myself, my family and what it means to never give up. It also reinforced my belief in my Dad's favorite slogan, 'that with hard work and perseverance anything is possible.' I can't thank my Dad enough for this experience of a lifetime." - Georgetown softball's Abbey Schiller