Greenwich Teen to Climb Mt. Shasta For Breast Cancer Prevention

Earth Day found aspiring 17-year-old mountain climber Amanda Michaud picking her way along the trails and rocky outcroppings at Tod’s Point.

With poles in hand and backpack cinched snuggly to her waist and shoulders, the Greenwich High School junior exuded determination. This is a good thing. On June 19th she will begin a three-day climb of California’s 14,179-foot Mt. Shasta.
 
Participating in the Breast Cancer Fund’s annual “Climb Against the Odds,” is something of a family tradition, with Michaud’s aunt having made the expedition three times. Fellow climbers this year, mostly women, are all either breast cancer survivors or otherwise touched by the disease.
 
With the added goal of raising funds for breast cancer prevention, Amanda has set a personal fundraising goal of $10,000.
 
“Mountain climbing is a great metaphor for the courage it takes to face breast cancer,” explained the young athlete. (She is in fact the second youngest climber on the roster this year.) “But our focus is on preventing the disease.”
 
“Young people just aren’t aware of the consequences of what goes in their water and food,” Michaud observed as she paused to sip water from a stainless steel thermos. “There’s a chemical called Bisphenol-A, or BPA for short, that is used in the lining of canned foods as well as water bottles and baby bottles. BPA is associated with breast cancer risk.”
 
Michaud’s passion is unmistakable. While she would undoubtedly benefit from some rest and relaxation at the close of a school year that has included running both winter and spring varsity track, volunteering with Greenwich Track Club, learning to drive, studying for SATs, and balancing everything with a heavy course load, she will instead head straight for northern California.
 
Her journey will be preceded by a day at mountaineering school where she’ll learn to use an ice pick to climb, as well as how to descend the summit, or slide down, seated, using an ice axe to steer and control her speed.
 
Day One includes an extensive orientation, gear check and time to get to know the team of guides.
 
The climb itself begins on Day Two with a four-hour hike with a full, 40-lb. backpack to base camp where she’ll attend “snow school.” After receiving instruction on the use of an ice axe, step kicking, step cutting and moving along in small roped teams, she’ll be ready for the hardest part.
 
If all goes as planned and the weather cooperates, the group’s summit attempt will begin on Day Three at 1:30 a.m. The super early start is necessary, as the final leg of the journey is a 12- to 16-hour round trip from base camp and is conducted with just a daypack. At the summit, the climbers will follow Tibetan tradition and fly prayer flags for loved ones, as well as take some time to savor their accomplishment before commencing the tricky descent.
 
Anyone interested in learning more about the Breast Cancer Fund’s efforts to identify and eliminate environmental causes of the disease can go to www.breastcancerfund.org.          
 
To learn more about Michaud’s fundraising effort or to arrange for her to carry a prayer flag in the name of a loved one, members of the community are invited to visit her website www.breastcancerfund.org/2011climb/amandam.