She can’t climb Mount Kilimanjaro, but Lori Fry hasn’t given up on her healing journey.
The Public Relations Director of the 100 Mile and District Visually Impaired White Cane Club is looking for a new challenge after an expedition to summit Mount Kilimanjaro and fundraising for blind children was postponed indefinitely due to of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I would do any type of physical activity that takes me out of my comfort zone,” Fry, 60, said. “Honestly, I would love to cycle across Canada on a tandem bike with a rider. I would like to do something physical that does not help me personally, but also the greater good of my community.
Fry was asked in 2019 to join a national team of visually impaired and blind people in Canada to raise money for the top of the Tanzanian mountain. Each team member had pledged to raise $10,000 to fund the expedition with additional funds for Camp Ability, a sports camp for blind children. Fry said they also plan to try calling the media from the top to raise awareness in the general visually impaired community.
“It was really about leading by example and inspiring and educating the world about vision loss and life after vision loss,” Fry said. “Helping others understand, no matter what individual mountains we all must climb, that we can all overcome the adversities and challenges in our lives.”
READ MORE: White Cane Club offers support, camaraderie
Fry said it was an honor to be selected for the trip, especially from a group of “high achievers,” including a musician and a lawyer. It was also seen as a personal cure for Fry, who dealt with Stickler Syndrome, a genetic condition that caused his retinas to slowly detach, his entire life. With only one percent of her vision remaining, she planned to use the climb as a way to overcome her emotions about going blind.
“Despite the fact that you can prepare as much as possible, you should still treat actual vision loss internally. Even though I’m used to it, there’s still that last stage of total sight loss that I still have, the emotional challenge of bereavement to deal with. So this mountain climb demonstrated an ability on disabilities, but also a healing journey for me on a personal level.
Fry has so far raised $7,285 for the cause, but said it was difficult to continue training for a mission when the date is not yet known and several team members are gone. The money will remain in trust with the club until they decide how to use it. If it’s not needed to fund a trip, it will likely be donated entirely to Camp Ability or another good cause.
Meanwhile, the White Cane Club is working on meeting in person again. Fry said the social/recreational group hasn’t met since last March.
“We’re starting the year with optimism for change, mostly bringing our group together in person. That’s our first and main focus,” Fry said.
As White Cane Week approaches in February, Fry said they will likely hold their open house in May and June. Even before COVID-19, she said they found the weather often canceled the event in February.
The club also continues to volunteer at the Cedar Crest Thrift Store, its main source of income. It serves as a platform for community outreach and Fry encourages any visually impaired community members who are not part of the club to come on Sundays to meet with them.
“The Cariboo has supported our White Cane Club for 31 years and I don’t believe we could have survived without this community support.
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