On September 11th, Canada’s most decorated Olympian, Penny Oleksiak, will embark on a six-day challenge to climb Africa’s tallest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, as part of a campaign to fight the global food crisis.
The World Champion Olympic Swimmer is Partnering with Natural Calm Canada and Thrive for Good to raise $50,000 for families and communities living on one meal a day so they can learn to grow nutritious food – sustainably.
World hunger has dramatically increased due to COVID-19, supply chain issues, shipping challenges, and war in Ukraine. And the sharpest rise has been in developing countries, where the marginalized and impoverished are at the most risk.
Every day, more parents wonder how they’ll feed their children. And more vulnerable fall ill because they can’t afford life-giving, nutritious foods.
But step by step, by climbing Kilimanjaro and raising money through her partnership with Natural Calm and Thrive for Good, Oleksiak aims to save lives by spreading awareness and providing a solution to end malnutrition.
Born on June 13th, 2000, in Toronto, Penny Oleksiak gained international recognition after winning four medals – one gold, one silver, and two bronze – at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, which was her first Senior National Team Event. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, she won three medals (one silver and two bronze), officially making her the most decorated Canadian Olympian of all time.
In 2022, Oleksiak, a passionate social activist, partnered with the Canadian social enterprise Natural Calm- a company that gives 100% of its profits to fight global hunger- to become its brand ambassador.
Penny Oleksiak is an advocate of Natural Calm magnesium, one of North America’s top-selling supplements. Performance athletes rely on magnesium because this essential mineral helps to maintain healthy muscles and promote muscle recovery after training. It also supports energy production and cardiovascular health.
While athletes require higher levels of magnesium, most Canadians do not meet the recommended minimum magnesium intake through their diet. Natural Calm has become a favourite magnesium product among Canadians who need to supplement their diets. This calming drink is best known to support stress, sleep, and pain.
Oleksiak is also excited to promote Thrive For Good, a registered charity founded by Natural Calm Canada’s founders, Dale and Linda Bolton. Thrive for Good trains community leaders around the world to grow life-sustaining organic, nutritious, and sustainable foods at a low cost. Thrive is on a mission to make nutrition accessible to the poorest communities.
Natural Calm Canada donates company profits to Thrive for Good and has given $3.5 million since 2005. “Without nutrition,” said Oleksiak, “ I couldn’t have achieved my goals. Too many Canadians and people around the world are not living their best lives because of poor nutrition. Natural Calm and Thrive for Good are helping to change that.”
In September, Penny Oleksiak and a team of 9 determined individuals will embark on this incredible 5-8 day fundraising climb of the tallest peak in Africa, which sits proudly at 19,340 feet. For more information and to donate to Penny’s campaign, click here.
This climb is the second annual climb to end hunger and malnutrition put on by Thrive. Last year a team of eight, including 68-year-old founder
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with xx. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.
successfully summited, raising awareness for Thrive’s work.
“In my 68 years,” said Bolton, “climbing Kilimanjaro was one of the biggest highs, spiritually, physically, and relationally as we worked together to reach the summit. The mountain completely emptied us and filled us up at the same time. The convergence of all three was so powerful.”
Filmmaker Nate Slaco documented the story along the seven-day Machame route to create an impactful documentary which can be watched here: Thrive on Kilimanjaro Documentary.
Natural Calm Canada is the sole Canadian distributor and marketer of Natural Calm in Canada. The company was founded in 2005 by multi-award-winning entrepreneur Linda Bolton and her husband, Dale Bolton. The couple from Thornhill, Ontario, chose to establish the company as a social enterprise so they could pursue their passion for changing health around the world. Learn more about Thrive for Good, Natural Calm’s charity partner here.
Thrive for Good has a rich history and extensive experience, training over 100,000 people since 2010. By 2025, Thrive will empower 1 million people in the developing world to lead healthy and sustainable lives by training them to grow nutritious and income-generating whole foods. Thrive is spreading a naturally contagious model for growing health organically by training and equipping communities to create Life Gardens, so they can step out of poverty and teach others to do the same. The Thrive model for ending hidden hunger and poverty has been proven in over 900 communities like Kageyo, Rwanda.
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Thrive for Good and Natural Calm Canada. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.
What an amazing cause, that’s very inspiring.