A DUNFERMLINE man is celebrating his recent trip to Mount Everest – and becoming friends with Olympian, Fatima Whitbread.
Andrew (Oz) Molloy, 54, recently trekked up to base camp on the world’s highest mountain with his friend Neil Dunsmore.
The two pals grew up in Dalgety Bay together and booked the trip 18 months ago with EverTrek UK.
Speaking of the journey, Oz commented that it was an “absolutely life-changing trip".
“I’d recommend it for the experience and stuff, it’s lifechanging.
“The weather wasn’t as bad as you think. It is actually quite similar to here.”
During his expedition, Oz came across retired British javelin thrower and Olympian, Fatima Whitbread.
She won gold at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and also at the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
Oz smiled: “My friend had seen that Fatima Whitbread was doing a charity trip the week before. So I was walking along one day and I saw her.
"I just went up and said hello and 'Do you mind if I get a picture?' And each day we kept bumping into each other.
“We ended up becoming friends and we were at the monastery together. I have been in contact since.”
Oz and Neil were guided by sherpas. Himalayan people who live on the borders of Nepal and Tibet, they are a source of advice and a helping hand on the treacherous journey to base camp, and the summit.
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He added: “The sherpas are the toughest and nicest people you meet. They just couldn’t believe what me and Neil were like, they kept saying we were the funniest people.”
Wi-Fi is available, but Oz is the only person the sherpas have met that refused it for the 12-day trek.
A Pars fan, he took the Dunfermline Athletic flag to the Himalayas with him and also brought along toy glider planes and bouncy balls to give to youngsters in the local villages as he completed his adventure.
“The kids have got nothing. You hand them out to them, and you wouldn’t believe the reaction. It was such a good moment.
“You wouldn’t believe the joy simply getting a bouncy ball or a toy plane,” he said.
During the trip, they got to stay in Kathmandu in a 5-star hotel. However, it wasn’t all luxury and plain sailing.
“You don’t eat any meat when you’re there because there are no fridges.
“People get food poisoning and it’s game over.” Oz added.
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He also had to drink four or five litres of water everyday to stay hydrated, and he lost two kilograms during the hike.
Despite the physical ordeal, Oz loved the whole Mount Everest experience and added: “It’s just a magical location.”
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