A FORMER jockey has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the charity that pulled him back from the 'verge of being suicidal'.
Max Jenkins, who was born in Sheffield and now lives in Harraby, Carlisle, hiked over the dormant volcano in Tanzania to generate funds for the Injured Jockeys' Fund (IJF).
The Fund helps jockeys who are injured whilst racing deal with the physical and mental aftermath.
In this regard, Max has a very personal connection to the charity and its services after they helped him recover from a racing accident.
He said: "A horse fell jumping a hurdle and I broke my collarbone and a couple of ribs.
"After I had my accident they helped me get back [to racing]"
Following his injury, Max decided to step away from horse racing as his confidence and mental health began to decline, but the IJF made sure he received life-saving counselling.
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Speaking about this dark period after he quit horse racing, Max detailed how this mountain climb was the perfect way to give back to the IJF.
He said: "I took the fall and I couldn't find my confidence.
"My mental health was horrendous, I was on the verge of being suicidal and the IJF pulled me out of the hole.
"I was gonna do a Half Ironman but you have to train for six months.
"I really wanted to do something to give something back because they have been brilliant."
The trip over the African mountain took eight days in total and had been planned since June 2022.
Of the eight-day trek, Max described that the final night of ascent on day seven was the hardest part of the journey.
He said: "Summit night was the worst.
"I got up at 10.15pm and they got you all in line and you slog up their in the dark.
"All you could see is a sea of head torches."
However, Max reflected on the immense swell of emotions he felt as he reached the summit and saw the sunrise over the African giant.
In the end, Max raised around £720 through the GoFundMe page he set-up around his hike and he expressed how proud he feels to have generated the amount for the IJF.
He said: "It's amazing to give back, they helped me so much with my recovery."
Anyone looking to help Max support the IJF can do so here.
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