Wisconsin Teen Climbs Mt Kilimanjaro for Mental Health Awareness

A 17-year-old from Central Wisconsin just climbed the highest mountain in Africa for a good cause.

This is a GREAT story from the radio market we worked in before moving to Michigan.

Haley Olson, a junior at Adams-Friendship High School, has revealed a lot about herself - she was abused as a child by a family member, and was then abused as a teen by her stepfather. After she mustered up the courage to turn him in, her stepfather broke into their home and stabbed her brother. He had to have emergency surgery, but he survived. Her stepfather is now serving a life sentence in a Wisconsin prison.

*Yes, I promise that this IS a good news story. Read on...*

She found ways to deal with her PTSD and anxiety - a lot of animal therapy with her pony and goats. And she partnered with a nonprofit that organizes expeditions to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa.

She continues to recover, but says that climbing the mountain helped her build trust with new people.