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Hammers keeper all set for mountain challenge
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| Green in action for the Hammers (c) |
WHILE most Premier League footballers will be hitting the beach or competing at Euro 2008 this summer, Robert Green will be taking on a challenge of a different kind.
The West Ham keeper will spend three weeks in African next month, working with the African Medical and Research Foundation charity (AMREF).
He will visit the poorest parts of Kenya and Tanzania to use the power of football to pass on basic, but life-saving, health messages to vulnerable children.
The 28-year-old will host football tournaments in Nairobi and Kibera - Africa's biggest slum - to encourage youngsters into school and work opportunities, and to rebuild trust with other ethnic groups and communities affected by Kenya's recent post-election violence.
He will then head to north west Tanzania to visit an AMREF school project, where he will teach young people about the risks of HIV/Aids.
And Green will round his trip off by climbing Africa's highest mountain: Kilimanjaro.
"The aim is to raise awareness of health issues and basic medical care throughout the poorer areas. If we can do that through the message of football, that's great," said Green.
"Football is probably Africa's number one love and it seems a waste not to spread the message and if it can affect and save a few lives then that's brilliant.
"It's pretty basic medical care issues that we'll be trying to raise.
"AMREF is a massive charity throughout Africa and is doing some fantastic work so it'll be interesting to see the work they do first-hand."
Green - who has already raised over £20,000 from a charity golf day and five-a-side football tournament at Upton Park - admitted that the charity trip was something he had been looking into for some time.
He said: "Playing football the opportunity doesn't come around too often. It's an opportunity to affect people's lives.
"AMREF has come across as a really good cause, something you can get your teeth into and be involved in and I'm hoping to do that.
"I don't think I've had more than three weeks off in the last five years and I want to use that time to help people and experience something you don't get to experience living in a professional footballer's bubble of a world."
While there is no essential climbing skills needed to tackle the 20,000ft mountain, Green will have to overcome serious altitude sickness to complete the journey.
But it is not putting him off.
"The main challenge will be the altitude sickness," explained Green.
"The last day is a 12-hour hike covering one mile. They say you feel pretty rough after each step so it's going to be a long hike.
"Nothing is going to put me in for the experience I'm going to face.
"It makes you nervous but that's what being alive is about. I could have gone and sat on a beach for six weeks and been refreshed for the new season - but I'd have been bored.
"All in all it is something that I am looking forward to immenesely."
Green is still looking to raise funds for the chairty. To donate visit www.justgiving.com/robertgreenkiliclimb
12:08pm Wednesday 14th May 2008
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