Britain’s Fittest Farmer judge attempts 8,848m Everest rope climb

Britain’s Fittest Farmer judge and Farm Fitness founder Tom Kemp is taking on a Guinness World Record challenge to raise money for the Farming Community Network (FCN), by attempting the fastest ascent of Mount Everest’s height on a rope climb.

A longstanding judge of Farmers Weekly‘s Britain’s Fittest Farmer competition, Tom is an advocate for mental and physical wellbeing within the farming sector, and hopes to raise awareness of the help farmers can receive from charities such as FCN.

See also: Britain’s Fittest Farmer 2023: Devon qualifiers show strong performance

The challenge will involve scaling Everest’s 8,848m (about five and a half miles) height on a 10m rope suspended from a telehandler at his family farm in Essex.

The current record stands at 30 hours, and Tom is hoping to beat this and complete the challenge in 20-plus hours on Friday 2 June.  

Tom said: “Having grown up on the farm, I’m aware of the hard graft required to keep on top of everything, manage stress levels and also look after yourself.

“Farmers are hardy by nature and unfortunately often don’t seek help before it’s too late.

“Through this challenge, I hope to shine a light on this issue and rally support and funds for an amazing charity and their vital work, which must continue.”

To make a donation or find out more about the challenge, visit Fundraiser by Tom Kemp: Climbing Mount Everest on a rope (gofundme.com)