COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A Colorado Springs man who was diagnosed with prostate cancer is currently climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak, in an effort to raise awareness for the 3.3 million men living with it.
Leo Nunes was diagnosed with Stage 2 prostate cancer in August, 2022 when he was 49.
“Currently, I am not 100% cancer free. I have been going through some treatments for the past three years,” said Nunes in an interview just before he embarked on his journey to Africa. “I'm on the path of healing and getting cancer free, so it's a marathon, not a sprint.”
Nunes said his idea to climb to the Roof of Africa, as Kilimanjaro is known, came after he connected with the national nonprofit ZERO Prostate Cancer. He said “think of them as the Susan G. Komen for prostate cancer.”
Though he was dealing with cancer, Nunes’ adventurous spirit didn’t dwindle. Through the nonprofit, he began taking part in fundraisers that many could never do. Last year, he climbed the Manitou Incline 30 times in 30 days and raised $15,000.
“And when I had done that challenge, [ZERO Prostate Cancer] came to me and said, ‘Hey, you know what, we have this idea of something else we want to do,'” Nunes recalled. “What they wanted to do was an inaugural climb of Mount Kilimanjaro for this year. And I was like ‘Heck, I just did the incline 30 days in a row. Sign me up for Kilimanjaro.’”
In order to train for the Kilimanjaro climb and boost his fundraising, Nunes once again did the Incline 30 times in September. He departed for Africa over the weekend and is expected to summit via the Lemosho Route on Sept. 28.
“I didn't get to choose my hard, right? Cancer chose me. I didn't choose cancer,” he said. “So, now I'm trying to find harder things to do to say, ‘Well, you know what? If I can do these other hard challenges and make it through doing the Incline 30 days in a row or climb the tallest peak in Africa, then you know what? Cancer is nothing.'”
So far, Nunes is 67% of the way to his fundraising goal. But he said the climb is also happening during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and he hopes it inspires those at most risk to get screened.
“Open up the conversation, normalize it,” said Nunes. “Talk to your physician about it, especially if you're a male over 40 and if you're in one of the high risk groups. You should already be talking to your primary care physician about early detection testing in your 40s, if you have a family history, African-American male, or a veteran.”
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