At 65 years old, Brett Martin never expected to find himself battling freezing temperatures and oxygen-starved air on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.

But in January, he joined eight friends on a gruelling climb to honour his son, Lucas ‘Looky’ Martin, who tragically passed away from meningitis at just 21.

A talented footballer and University of Liverpool graduate from St Mark’s, Lucas was known for his kindness and determination - qualities that now inspire Looky’s Aid, a charity set up in his memory.

With every step to the summit, Brett carried his son’s legacy, placing a memorial pebble at the top of Africa in tribute to the young man who always pushed him beyond his limits.

In his own words, Brett talks us through the journey, one of altitude, exhaustion, and a father’s enduring love:

Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself climbing Mount Kilimanjaro at the age of 65.

Tents, campsite food, and arctic temperatures don’t figure highly on my wish list these days, but my son, Lucas ‘Looky’ Martin always had a knack of taking me outside my comfort zone, and that hasn’t changed despite the tragedy of his loss to meningitis in 2023.

So, in mid-January, I found myself together with eight climbing companions staring up at the biggest freestanding mountain in the world and wondering how we were supposed to get to the top!

The first day of climbing is an exercise in misinformation.

The trail is smooth, the countryside is beautiful rainforest, and the climate is perfect. But then day two starts, and you begin to get to get a wake-up call as the rainforest disappears, the trail turns to rubble and the altitude increases to almost 4,000 metres.

Lack of oxygen quickly becomes the number one enemy.

Everything becomes an effort and recovery from the simplest exertion takes minutes rather than seconds.

Tolerance is initially tested by a trek up to 4,600 metres at Lava Tower, before a descent back to 4,000 metres at Barranco Camp.

Susceptibility to altitude sickness is a complete lottery – age and fitness have no bearing on the matter – you either suffer or you don’t.

I was one of the lucky ones, but not everyone in our party had a happy experience.

Aside from reaching the summit, the Barranco Wall was the highlight of the expedition.

It’s a 250-metre-high cliff face that looks like a vertical slab of rock until you get close. Then you realise it contains a winding path that hairpins its way to the top like an alpine road. Great fun, even for someone like me who hates heights!

One final 4,000 metre camp follows Barranco before the climb to Barafu Camp at 4,700 metres from which you tackle the final push to the summit (two Snaefells to go at that point!).

The summit walk starts at 11pm and lasts nearly seven hours through the night, despite only being three miles long.

The mantra is ‘Pole pole’ or ‘Slowly slowly’ as the oxygen is down to 50% of normal levels and the temperature quickly falls away from zero to minus 20.

The climb is bleak, the weather horrible and willpower is just as important as physical fitness, but the effort is worth it as you emerge onto the snow-capped roof of Africa to see a sunrise flooding hundreds of miles of countryside.

Most poignant for me was being able to place a small memorial pebble at the top inscribed for Lucas.

I hope he was looking down and gave me at least seven out of ten for effort (only Steven Gerrard ever got a ten on the Lucas scale!).

Thanks to my fellow climbers, Patrick Gough, Patrick Douglas, Charles Kenny, Richard MacNee, Guy Templer, Mark Gilson, Simon Nicholas, and Rob Kirkham for their great company and fundraising efforts (as I write we’ve reached £26,500).

Thanks also to our guides and porters, who scurried up and down the mountain oblivious of the lack of oxygen!

The aims of Looky’s Aid include overcoming adversity and challenging young people to be the best they can be.

Whilst the majority of us on the trip could hardly be described as young, we all came away with a sense of achievement and a feeling that moving forward is worthwhile even if it is ‘Pole pole’ at times.

Lucas Martin’s memory living on

In October last year, Looky’s Aid marked its one year anniversary.

The phrase ‘give it LOADS’ has become synonymous with Looky’s Aid, representing Lucas’s inspiring energy and approach to life.

It’s an acronym that they hope people move through life with, standing for Love, Optimism, Ambition, Determination and Selflessness.

Since its launch, the charity has achieved a number of significant milestones:

Most recently the charity staged its first relay-style marathon.

The event, organised by members of Looky’s Aid, started at a variety of points between Peel and Douglas.

In addition to the charity’s work, Lucas’s family has undertaken several initiatives to preserve his memory.

In May this year, they opened Looky’s Bar at the Best Western Palace Hotel and Casino in Douglas, overlooking the seafront.

The popular bar holds a special significance, as Lucas worked at the Palace behind the bar during his university summer breaks.

The establishment has become a gathering place for friends and family, serving as a lasting tribute to Lucas.

Prior to his passing in September, Lucas had signed up to become an organ donor and had actively encouraged his friends to do the same.

Following his death, his liver and kidneys were all donated to three strangers who were in desperate need of an organ transplant.

Also, in the weeks after his untimely death, Lucas’s family spoke out about the Manxman’s battle with meningitis in the press in a bid to raise awareness of the symptoms.

And luckily for Charlie Briars, one of those articles would go on to play a crucial role in saving her husband Craig’s life.

After reading articles online about Lucas’s battle with the infection, she began to research the condition and noticed similarities.

Craig had suffered inflammation of the brain, known as encephalitis, and had Charlie not acted when she did, it could’ve been fatal.

Once Craig was over the worst, the Briars’ family reached out to Lucas Martin’s family’s to express their gratitude for raising awareness about the 21 year-old’s plight.

Looky’s Aid, and Lucas’s story, continues to save and change lives on the Isle of Man.

Find out more about Looky’s Aid here: www.lookys-aid.org