Martina in hospital
Martina Navratilova has congratulated her fundraising team on reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro from her Nairobi hospital bed.
The tennis icon attempted to climb Africa’s tallest mountain along with 26 other legendary sportsmen – including German Paralympic cyclist Michael Teuber and British Olympic badminton star Gail Emms – in a bid to raise funds for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation – but was thwarted by an altitude-related illness.
“I was awake in hospital all night, thinking of them all as they made the final push to the top. Of course I feel sad and disappointed that I am not there to celebrate too, but I am so thankful to them for undertaking this challenge for such a fantastic cause,” said Martina.
Navratilova is a proud global ambassador for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
Their mission is to utilise the power of sport to address social issues, such as HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, crime, landmines, violence, discrimination and health problems through a global program of sports-related community development projects.
The nine-time Wimbledon champion is recovering in Nairobi hospital from an altitude-related pulmonary oedema. She is expected to make a full recovery.
