Grand Canyon Rim 2 River 2 Rim Challenge, October 2025 –

This will be the fifth One Kidney Climb, following in the footsteps of the success of the 2022 and 2024 climbs summiting Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, and the 2023 and 2025 climbs over three volcanoes taking place in Guatemala.

The 16 climbers are all members of the nonprofit Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA), founded in 2018.  The group is fundraising to promote awareness and raise funds for the many educational, sponsorship, and advocacy programs KDA offers those considering donation or post donation.  

KDA group leader and board chairman, Chris Sullivan shares why kidney donors join in this challenging experience; “This trek isn’t just about crossing the Grand Canyon – it’s about showing the world what’s possible with one kidney. Every step we take is a reminder that donation doesn’t limit your life; it empowers it. We climb, we hike, we endure – not in spite of our donation, but because of the strength it gave us.”  

Currently, there are nearly 100,000 people on the waiting list in the United States in need of a kidney.  With an average wait time of three to five years for a transplant, 13 of them die every day.  Increasing the number of living donations would significantly reduce the number of unnecessary deaths from kidney failure, as kidneys from living donors last, on average, 50% longer than those from deceased donors.