A five-year-old boy from Maida Hill, West London, has become the youngest person ever to complete the BT Tower climb.
Reuben O’Hara (pictured below with his mother) climbed 842 steps over 34 floors in 19 minutes, with his mother Elizabeth following closely behind. He said:
“I wanted to climb the BT Tower because I really like towers and I also wanted to help my grandad who can’t hear well.”
Reuben’s grandfather Robin, 84, from Croydon, is one of 10 million people in the UK who are affected by some form of hearing loss. By taking part in the climb Reuben has raised over £800 for Action On Hearing Loss. On his fundraising page Reuben says:
“My Grandad can’t hear me when I speak to him and it’s a problem. It isn’t very good when you can’t hear.”
David Steadman, executive director of fundraising at Action On Hearing Loss, said: “Most of us have someone we love who faces hearing loss and, if we’re lucky to live long enough, hearing loss could affect each and every one of us one day. Reuben is very special, he is the youngest person ever to climb the BT Tower and we are incredibly grateful that he took on this difficult challenge to support us at such a young age.”
Action on Hearing Loss help people identify whether they have a hearing loss through their online Hearing Check and telephone Hearing Check, and they work to make daily life better for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. For more information please visit their website.
