For 158 days straight, Lewi Taylor climbed and conquered 158 of Tasmania’s most challenging mountains – the Abels – trekking alone through rain, hail, snow and blistering sun.
He hiked through Tasmania’s wilderness with a single-minded determination: to raise $158,000 to improve the fighting chances of all Tasmanians with cancer. He was inspired by his mother, who’d been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time.
Lewi started his ‘158 Challenge’ in January 2022 and climbed the final peak, kunanyi, on 10 June, his 30th birthday. His goal was to raise $1000 each time he reached the top of Tasmania’s 158 Abels – mountains that peak above 1,100 metres with sheer drops from the summit.
Working with Cancer Council Tasmania, Lewi has raised more than $167,000 so far.
The funds will stay in Tasmania and contribute to cancer prevention education, research and support services, including the Cancer Council’s wig library and transport2treatment program.