Paralympic athlete Gema Hassen-Bey begins climb to the Teide, Spain's highest mountain

On Tuesday, October 31, paralympic athlete Gema Hassen-Bey began her ascent to Teide, Spain's highest mountain, with the goal of reaching its peak at 3,718 meters.

This initiative is part of her preparation to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain at 5,835 meters, as announced by the Tenerife Cabildo, the collaborating institution.

Before starting the challenge, Gema Hassen-Bey expressed gratitude for the support she has received and stated, "Perhaps this is the most important day of my life, and I've been to several Olympic Games."

"We are going to demonstrate that there are no limits, that we can all reach our summits, that there are no disabilities but rather different abilities, and that when we come together, we accomplish great things and improve the world," affirmed the athlete, who is affected by a spinal cord injury.

Hassen-Bey invited her entire team "to enjoy every moment of the climb, every rock, every obstacle we encounter because this will be a unique and unrepeatable experience," and she also mentioned that this challenge is "dedicated to all those fighting against cancer."

The Teide 3K Summit Bey Kilimanjaro Challenge takes place from October 31 to November 12 and will require Gema to overcome slopes of 60%, around 200 steps measuring about 20 centimeters high, the high altitude, the lack of oxygen mixed with the sulfur at the summit, and the sideways inclination of the volcanic terrain.

Cumbre Bey is the project driven by the Bey proAction association to help paralympic athlete Gema Hassen-Bey become the first woman in a wheelchair to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro, the "roof of Africa."