The Laureus mountain-climbing team of fundraisers and climbers, which included Martina Navratilova until she fell ill on Thursday, have reached the summit of 19,341-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro despite battling sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow.
German Paralympic cyclist Michael Teuber and British Olympic badminton star Gail Emms were on the team that made it to the top of the mountain. Of the 27 fundraisers who began the climb, 18 made it to the top.
"I am thrilled to hear that most of the team made it to the top, an incredible achievement, even more so because of the extreme weather conditions we all experienced throughout the week," Navratilova said. "I was awake in hospital all night, thinking of them all as they made the final push to the top. Of course I feel sad and disappointed that I am not there to celebrate too, but I am so thankful to them for undertaking this challenge for such a fantastic cause."—Matthew Cronin