Rockland Hospital employee from New Jersey returns after wheelchair trek up Mount Kilimanjaro
Helen Hayes Hospital adaptive sports coordinator reflects on personal journey to the Roof of Africa in first interview since returning home.
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A New Jersey man who works in a Rockland County hospital is back in the United States after taking on Mount Kilimanjaro in a specialized wheelchair and reaching one of the world's most iconic summits.
Peter Gagliardo, the adaptive sports coordinator at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, recently returned home from Africa. He had spent several days traversing rugged terrain on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which is often referred to as the "Roof of Africa."
"It was a long journey to get here," Gagliardo said in his first interview since returning home.
Gagliardo shared photos, videos and memories from the expedition, including reaching the top after miles of challenging travel across the mountain.
He credited his specialized wheelchair from PARATREK and the team who helped him along the way.
The trip faced challenges before the climb even began.
RELATED: Helen Hayes employee from NJ aims to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in specialized wheelchair
When the group landed in Africa, a bag containing medical supplies was lost in transit and was delivered to the team the following day.
Reflecting on the achievement of reaching the summit, Gagliardo compared the moment to one of the greatest accomplishments in sports.
"I'm a hockey guy, so it's like lifting the Stanley Cup. You don't have the words," he said, throwing his hands in the air.
Despite the accomplishment, Gagliardo said the final push to the peak proved to be the most difficult part of the journey.
After 14 hours of climbing a steep incline, members of the group began experiencing elevation sickness. With a hailstorm in the forecast, the group was forced to stop for safety about 100 feet short of the mountain's iconic summit sign.
Still, Gagliardo hinted that another attempt may be in his future.
"As soon as we hit the bottom, we already had an anonymous donor ready to send us back to get those 50 yards if we want them next year. And it was a very brutal and enduring trip, but I think in a year's time I'm going to forget about those things," Gagliardo said.
The climb also carried deep personal significance because Gagliardo became paralyzed 20 years ago following a motorcycle accident and recently lost his wife.
"It wasn't a vacation. It wasn't a trip. It was a journey. It was a journey about self-exploration and learning about what my limits are," he said.
He reflected on the accomplishment that places him among nearly 50 people who have reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair.
"I hope that number grows so much that my number doesn't matter anymore," he said.
While the mountain presented numerous physical challenges, Gagliardo joked that the most difficult part of the entire experience was getting there on a 15-hour flight.
