With just a few days to go before the quest to conquer Kilimanjaro begins for the Idols SA judge, Unathi Msengana explained she was as prepared as one could be before attempting to summit the 5,895 m above sea level mountain, but that didn’t stop the nerves.
God, tell that woman there how beautiful and majestic she is. (Tell her) there’s a humble village girl, who is coming all the way from SA, she just wants to have a good experience, a respectful one… I respect her. Can she just allow me to summit? God, please speak to your girl. Tell her we are in the same WhatsApp group, please God.”
This is a summarised version of Unathi Msengana’s prayer as she prepares to embark on her biggest fitness journey yet and attempts to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
“People say you can’t conquer the mountain, she allows you to summit. So I’m prepared as I can ever be for whatever the mountain feels that I should receive. Here, I’ve been praying to God to speak to that mountain,” she told TshisaLIVE.
“I’m nervous, it’s a huge task. A wonderful experience (to look forward to) and an enormous campaign. I think I’m just taking it all in, I am not taking anything for granted.
“I think when I am asked to do something like this, I always kind of put the initiatives first. Then I fall in love with that, I fall in love with the idea of uniting Africa physically… then I remember, ‘girl, you are going on a nine-day walking hike…three hours a day!'”
Unathi said she was not oblivious to the reality of falling sick or a possible death on the mountain and has even had the talk with her children.
“I’ve even had the medic team speak to my kids. (The danger associated with such a journey) is something I take very seriously, so I’ve had this conversation with them. I also spoke to my psychologist and have been in counsel with people that have summited the mountain.”
The musician said she was advised to listen to her body and to curb her competitiveness, so that when she’s told to slow down or to go back, she listens.
Unathi said she’s looking forward to “quiet moments,” where she can have “uninterrupted conversations with God and long hours of introspection” above the clouds.
“I’m very aware of the fact that I have nothing to prove and if I don’t summit that is all in God’s will.”
