Jason van't Slot cycles the height of Everest to raise funds for cystic fibrosis

Pippa Hudson spoke to cyclist and motivational speaker Jason van't Slot about his Everest challenge, living with cystic fibrosis, and the new Trikafta treatment.

Cycling almost 9,000m of vertical ascent is no easy task for any person. But one South African doubled the challenge by doing this with cystic fibrosis to raise money for the South African Cystic Fibrosis Association and for a potential new drug, which could revolutionise its treatment.

Pippa Hudson spoke to cyclist and motivational speaker Jason van't Slot about his Everest challenge, living with cystic fibrosis, and the new Trikafta treatment.

Van't Slot was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, which is a genetic condition that causes damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs, at 8-months-old.

He decided to take on this incredible challenge that saw him cycling the accumulated height of Mount Everest in a single day, starting at 2am.

To get your head around that, imagine going from Camps Bay beach to the top of Table Mountain, nine times consecutively.

Jason van't Slot, Cyclist and motivational speaker at Cystic Fibrosis Cycling RSA

The goal of this was to raise funds and awareness for the treatment of the disease, specifically for this new drug called Trikafta, which is the first medication to actually fix the underlying cause of the disease rather than just the symptoms.

Currently, this treatment is only available in selected countries, primarily in Europe and the United States, and costs around R6 million for one year of treatment for a single patient.

Van't Slot hopes that through the help of SACFA and government aid, this lifesaving medication can become accessible in South Africa for cystic fibrosis patients and help them live full and healthy lives.

Listen to the audio for more.

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