A pair of business bosses have raised almost $200,000 for charity seeking brain cancer cure

TWO  northern beaches business bosses have raised almost $200,000 for charity by climbing Africa’s highest mountain- despite one suffering altitude sickness much of the climb

The team from Cure Brain Cancer at the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro

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TWO northern beaches business bosses have raised almost $200,000 for charity by climbing Africa’s highest mountain.

Nathan Cheong, managing director of BioCeuticals – a division of vitamin giant Blackmores – and Geoff Sparke, director of broadcast operations at Channel 9, scaled the mountain last month.

Nathan Cheong (R) managing director of BioCeuticals and brain surgeon, Professor Charlie Teo, who led the climb.

They joined an expedition led by renowned brain surgeon Charlie Teo as part of Charlie’s Million$Mission for charity Cure Brain Cancer.

Mr Cheong, 46, managed the feat despite severe altitude sickness. He said he had to break down the eight-day expedition to scale the 4900m mountain into thinking just 100 steps at a time.

Nathan Cheong(L), and Geoff Spark have raised almost $200,000 between them by tackling Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Picture Braden Fastier

And because he kept being sick, he had not eaten for five days by the time he reached the summit.

“After about day two I got nausea, vomiting, headaches, and I had to climb in that state for six days. It was tough,” he said.

Geoff Sparke in front of Kilimanjaro mountain last month Tanzania.

“(On) the summit day we had to get up at 5am and had a four-hour climb, a break and then the six- or seven-hour summit push.

“After that first four hours I was really struggling. I had to just do it. I thought, ‘What's the worst that can happen?’ I kept thinking about why I was doing it.”

Geoff Sparke, director of broadcast operations at TV channel Nine, scaled Kilimanjaro mountain after his dad died from a brain tumour.

Mr Sparke, 53, of Collaroy, lost his father to a brain tumour. Bill Sparke, of Warriewood, died aged 68 in 2005. He read a dedication to his father at the summit.

The entire team was each given a letter from a person affected by the condition, to carry with them.

Father of three Mr Sparke said it was emotional to read.

The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation was set up by renowned brain surgeon Doctor Charlie Teo

“It was addressed to, ‘The angel climbing the mountain’. Whoever had written it, had lost their father the same as me,” he said.

Mr Cheong said: “Mine was a young mother who had brain cancer. She had a prognosis and it wasn’t good and she had two young children. I tapped into that, I have a two-year-old.”

Sponsor Geoff:Sponsor Nathan