By Valerie Franchi, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – This summer, John Thompson, 24, of Shrewsbury, will attempt to climb all 67 of the mountains in New England that are more than 4,000 feet high. This may seem ambitious, but consider that Thompson intends to do this in one week and it becomes seemingly impossible. In fact, if he succeeds he will set a record for the fastest ascent of the NE67, which are known colloquially as the “4kers.”
However, he’s not just doing it to set a record, for fun or “because they are there.” His effort will be in honor of his grandfather, John Carey, who died Dec. 31 of kidney cancer and to raise money for the Baystate Regional Cancer Program and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.
Thompson hopes to raise $10,000 for the cause, “4kers for Kidneys.”
Carey was a physician specializing in internal medicine and pulmonary disease and spent time as an instructor at Baystate, through his affiliation with Tufts University School of Medicine. He also received end-of-life care there.
Thompson said he was very close with his grandfather, who encouraged an active lifestyle.
He began hiking with the Boy Scouts on camping trips and was on the track team in high school. His grandfather attended many of Thompson’s sporting events, as well as those of his twin brother Kevin and older sister, Sarah.
“He valued being active and encouraged us to push ourselves,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s mother, Kathleen, echoed his comments about her late father.
“My father was very task oriented and was always busy working, doing a project, reading to gain knowledge, as well as enjoying the outdoors whenever possible,” she said. “John is modeling the hard work and perseverance his grandfather showed throughout his life in creating and executing this unique and physically challenging fundraiser.”
A 2014 graduate of Boston College majoring in chemistry and economics, Thompson currently works at an investment consulting firm in Boston.
He said the idea to attempt to climb the NE67 in one week stemmed from “an intersection of multiple things at the right time.”
Two summers ago, Thompson explained, he got back into hiking with a goal to climb the NE67 over the next 10 years. Then he heard about a friend who ran the 3,000-mile Pacific Coast Trail in world record time in memory of his cousin who had died.
“It made me think of taking on a challenge in honor of my grandfather,” he recalled.
Thompson is already an avid runner – “so I’m in OK shape,” he said – averaging about 30 miles a week. To train for the NE67, he has upped that to 45-60 miles per week, and added 15-25 miles of hiking on the weekends.
Thompson will begin his trek Saturday, Aug. 7, at Baxter State Park, climbing Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine, and ending at Mount Killington in Vermont.
According to Thompson, the NE67 consist of all of the mountains in New England (New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont) standing at 4,000 feet or higher and have a prominence of at least 200 feet from the lowest point to the summit. A token accomplishment in the hiking community, hikers aim to summit these mountains over the course of a lifetime, rarely in a single season.
Tackling just shy of 10 peaks in a day, Thompson said, will require “a lot of planning.” He has organized a support team of friends to help provide supplies and transport him from mountain to mountain, some that are quite close together and others up to four-hour drive away from each other.
Hiking each mountain will take between 2.5 to 7 hours, depending on the length of the trail. Thompson said he plans to hike 12 to 19 hours a day.
As far as setting a new record, Thompson said climbing the NE67 is not an event listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, but there are other organizations that might recognize his achievement. He said he has contact some of them but has not heard back yet.
Regardless, said Thompson, “I cannot think of a more appropriate way to honor my grandfather’s memory than by doing something that requires the energy and enthusiasm he possessed.”
Donations to 4kers for Kidneys will go to support those currently battling all cancers and to promote continued research and prevention. All donations are tax-deductible. For more information about Thompson’s climbs or to donate, visit www.4kersforkidneys.com.
Photos/submitted