A 14-year-old Tasmanian has become one of the youngest Australians to summit a mountain over 6,000 metres, reaching the top of Lobuche East in Nepal’s Everest region, all for a good cause.
James Repine from Premaydena climbed the 6,119-metre peak with his father as part of a fundraising campaign he created for the Leukaemia Foundation after his mother was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer.
His mother was diagnosed with myelofibrosis in December 2024, and the family had already been planning a trip to Nepal at the time.
James’s father, Blake, said his son felt helpless after the diagnosis and wanted to do something positive.
“He felt a bit helpless and just really wanted to do something to support his mother,” Blake said.
“He wanted to give back to them [the Leukaemia Foundation] because of the support that they’d given our family through this whole thing.”
The campaign, called Climbing for Cancer has raised $23,660 for the foundation nearly five times the original $5,000 goal.
The trip itself was privately funded, meaning every dollar raised went directly to the foundation.
The climb was far from straightforward.
Blake said both he and James were hit with a severe infection in a small town, leaving the entire expedition in doubt.
“We weren’t able to hold down any food or liquids or anything, so we both developed a kind of mild altitude sickness,” Blake said.
A doctor cleared them to continue, and they pushed on.
On summit day, the pair were climbing by 3am, reaching the top in around six hours.
Blake said even their guide was impressed with how strong James was on the day.
Another climber on the mountain that day experienced high-altitude hypoxia and had to be evacuated by helicopter.
“This climb was about more than just reaching the summit,” James said.
“It was about raising awareness and funds for people affected by blood cancer and proving that with the right mindset and support, you can achieve something bigger than yourself.”
Local businesses including Peninsula Hardware in Nubeena rallied behind the campaign, running raffles and events to raise money.
On summit day, the family received 255 messages of support via a GPS tracking device, many from complete strangers.
Blake’s partner’s form of blood cancer currently has no cure, and he said the funding would help support families and ongoing research.
James already has his sights set on his next climb Ama Dablam, a 6,812-metre peak he hopes to tackle next year.
