What does it take to climb the tallest mountain in Africa — and why would someone take on that challenge in honor of a loved one?

In this inspiring episode of Logistics With Purpose®, we sit down with Kieran Purtill to unpack his extraordinary journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, a climb driven by love, loss, and purpose. Kieran shares the deeply personal motivation behind the expedition — honoring his late mother — and how her legacy shaped every step of the journey.

We dive into the physical, logistical, and emotional realities of preparing for and completing such a demanding climb, from months of training to the critical role of teamwork and support along the way. Kieran also reflects on the powerful lessons he learned about resilience, perseverance, mental strength, and community when facing adversity at altitude.

Whether you’re an adventurer, someone navigating loss, or simply looking for inspiration to pursue a meaningful goal, this conversation will challenge you to reflect on your own purpose — and remind you that courage and connection can carry you further than you ever imagined.

Additional Links & Resources:

1. Fundraiser Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and in Honor of Kathy Purtill - https://diy.bloodcancerunited.org/fundraiser/6467059
2. Learn more about Logistics with Purpose®: https://supplychainnow.com/program/logistics-with-purpose
3. Learn more about Vector Global Logistics: https://vectorgl.com/
4. Subscribe to Logistics with Purpose®: https://logistics-with-purpose.captivate.fm/listen

This episode was hosted by Enrique Alvarez and Kristi Porter. For additional information, please visit our dedicated episode page at: https://supplychainnow.com/journey-purpose-epic-climb-kiliminjaro-leukemia-awareness-lwp145

Welcome to Logistics with Purpose presented by Vector Global Logistics in partnership with Supply Chain.

Now we spotlight and celebrate organizations who are dedicated to creating a positive impact.

Join us for this behind the scenes glimpse of the origin stories, change, making progress and future plans of organizations who are actively making a difference.

Our goal isn't just to entertain you, but to inspire you to go out and change the world.

And now, here's today's episode of Logistics with Purpose.

Welcome to another episode of Logistics with pripost.

I'm your host, Enrique Alvarez.

I'm here with my fearless co leader, Christy Porter.

We have a great guest today, don't we, Christy?

We do.

We actually have part of our Vector family, extended family here with us today.

So that means it's extra special to us and a cause that's dear to our heart, a person that's dear to our heart.

So we are delighted to welcome Kieran Purtel, who is actually the son of one of our salespeople in Atlanta, Adrian Purtel.

You've known Kieran for a long time.

I've just gotten to know him really, over the past probably six months or so.

But he totally embodies everything that Vector and Logistics with Purpose stands for.

Courage, heart, impact.

So, Kieran, we will talk about a little bit about your background, a little bit about, you know, who you are, what you've been doing, but we're here to especially talk about this monumental, literally, achievement that you've.

So we're recording in early November.

So it's been just over a month since you made the summit for Mount Kilimanjaro, and we got to follow along remotely.

I'm glad I was only remotely on that journey, but I can't wait to talk more about it and hear more about your experience and of course, the reason you got into this.

So we're delighted to have you here today with us, Karen.

Well, thank you so much for having me, both of you.

And yeah, I'm really excited to talk about this story and share everything with everyone.

It's, of course, been fun getting to know you, Adrian, as Emma would put it, one of my best friends in Atlanta.

And so it's fun to have you here with us.

It'll be a really engaging conversation and very inspiring as well.

So I guess, unlike Christy, I am very jealous as well, because I would have loved to be there with you.

But I know we'll talk a little bit more about that.

But before we get there, let me start with what we like to call the quick question segment.

So you have to respond with whatever comes to your mind first.

Are you ready?

I'm ready.

Let's do it.

One thing you always take with you on a climb.

Fruit jerky.

What kept you motivated on your Kilimanjario climb?

I think food.

For a more silly answer, I was always hungry.

I felt like so going from camp to camp, I think that was in my mind a lot.

What kind of food item did you picture?

I just.

I wanted as many calories as I could get.

I think just anything.

We had soups and meats, and there was always a jar of Nutella on the table every dinner, so a couple spoonfuls of that.

So coffee or tea?

Tea, always.

What's a quote or phrase that inspires you the most?

I think I've always loved the time will pass anyway.

I keep that in my head a lot.

So if there's something holding you back or scared to do something or whatever the reason is, you know, or if you're afraid that it's going to take a long time, that time's gonna, you know, pass anyway, so you might as well get started on it.

Mm, that's good.

I love that.

Thanks for those.

Yeah.

We'll again talk a little bit more about.

But you did not go hungry on your trip, for sure.

It was kind of amazing to learn about the behind the scenes of that.

But again, before we're setting up lots of teases here, but before we get into it, this is where you get to dish all about Adrian and tell us what kind of dad he is.

He's not listening at the moment.

So tell us a little bit about where you grew up and your childhood and just kind of how you became the person you are.

Yeah.

So I was born in South Africa.

Both my parents, neither of them are.

Were from there, but they both moved there from a young age, so.

And obviously met there.

So I was born there.

We moved to Ohio in the states when I was, I think, like, 15 months old.

So I don't really remember South Africa, but I do remember Ohio.

That's where I became a basketball fan.

I was a big fan of LeBron James, which was, like, right when we moved there was.

He was blowing up on the high school stage, on the world stage.

And then we moved down to Atlanta when I was 7.

So I grew up in Atlanta.

I just turned 30 in September.

Yes.

I've spent most of my life here.

I grew up with my dad.

We played sports all the time.

He cultivated that love of basketball.

I got into soccer when I was.

When we moved down to Atlanta And I ended up playing soccer pretty much my whole life.

Played in college.

And my dad was a big karate person.

I never did karate.

I did a little bit with him, but he.

He was not one of those people that forced me to do that.

Other than Manchester United, probably.

Yeah, that's true.

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, that was.

I had no choice.

There was no choice.

No choice there.

I was stuck with that one.

But, yeah, I had.

I had a good childhood of both.

My parents supported me a lot in anything I did.

And I think I was contrary to me, Klimi Kilimanjar.

I was sort of reserved and a lot more shy when I was younger, and they helped me through those times.

I used to be able to not even, you know, go up and talk to somebody.

And I kind of, you know, through their support, I was able to blossom a little bit as I got older.

But, well, looking back, Kieran, what is the story from your early years that kind of shape who you are?

I mean, do you remember one or two particular stories from your upbringing that you can share with us and our aud?

Yeah, I do have a funny one that kind of outlines who I am still today.

So what I said earlier about me being shy and reserved, I.

Somewhere where I was not, that was on the soccer field.

I'm an extremely competitive person.

So a story my mom always used to love to tell was when I was probably five.

I mean, if you've ever seen five year olds play soccer, it's everybody.

One person kicks the ball and 10 people go running after it.

And then someone kicks it, everybody runs after it.

There's not any real soccer going on.

But for me, I wanted real soccer going on even at 5 years old.

And I remember getting so frustrated at, you know, we would have our two defenders sitting back and actually sitting on the ground picking grass while I was trying to score goals.

And I remember getting so frustrated that actually started crying.

And my mom thought it was the funniest thing in the world.

So that kind of set me up for the rest of my life of taking things like that maybe too seriously.

Definitely.

But that'll get you a long way in life as well.

You actually graduated from the University of West Georgia.

You have experience in management, advertising, public speaking.

But of course you also have this love of adventure, love of the outdoors.

So where did that come from?

I think that really I got involved with that sort of my freshman year of college.

I had a friend of mine and I think I.

Not that I didn't ever go on hikes or anything before.

But I kind of, when I got to college, I think I had this renewed sense of maybe freedom.

And I realized I could sort of do whatever I want.

I had a car and time and ability.

So a friend of mine, we used to just go drive into North Georgia all the time and go on these hikes every weekend.

And yeah, I think I just fell in love with that kind of freedom and that journey.

I mean, like, some of the best memories of college I have are maybe not even the hikes, just, you know, those two or three hour drives and through the mountains and, you know, talking to my friend and things like that.

So I think that's kind of where it started.

Where in North Georgia specifically are some of your favorites?

This sounds crazy, but I think I've honestly done maybe every popular north Georgia hike that there is.

I do.

Some specifics I love are Blood Mountain, Yona Mountain.

Those are really good ones.

Cloudland Canyon is a lot of fun.

Yeah, yeah, we.

So Covid it was the best time to kind of go out in nature and not be around anyone.

We hiked every single weekend the entire summer.

So we got a lot done.

Yeah, that's awesome.

Yeah, that sounds amazing.

And I guess for our listeners out there, the North Georgia mountains are beautiful.

Like, maybe not a lot of people picture nature and mountains and hikes when they think of Atlanta or Georgia in general.

But yes, if you have a chance to our go visit them, I would encourage you to do so because they are.

They're breathtaking.

For sure.

They are.

Kieran, it sounds like your family has played a big role in shaping, of course, who you are.

Could you tell us a little bit more about that connection and in particular has how your family kind of inspire that sense of purpose and perseverance?

Yeah, I think as I mentioned earlier, I've always had the support of everybody around me, and I think that sort of love and support is so important.

And I fell in love with hiking and all these things and.

And I had the idea for Kilimanjaro almost 10 years ago, and never once did I hear, that's crazy.

Why are you doing that?

And I think that's extremely important.

None of my family, my two sisters, my dad, my mom, they never had really any interest in that world, but I never felt any judgment because I liked it, and I think that was amazing.

But yeah, I think, simply put, love is very powerful and you feel empowered by it and you feel it gives you confidence and, you know, it allowed Me to do this kind of thing, knowing that even if I failed, nothing would change with my family.

So I've had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with your family and your parents.

And, yes, I can totally see how love is a big part of what you guys do and what keeps you guys together and what makes you such a special and beautiful family.

So thanks for sharing that and kind.

Of building on that.

So it was your goal to climb kilimanjaro by the time you were 30.

So you made it just shy of that day deadline.

Congratulations.

And then, of course, you also climbed it for a cause bigger than yourself.

So talk a little bit more about honoring your mom's legacy, kind of the impact your family had on you in that regard and how it all affected you more personally on a completely different level.

So, yeah, for those who don't know or anyone listening, my.

My mom passed away February early this year.

And like I said, she was always supported me in that dream of kilimanjaro.

And, you know, the last couple years, I. I didn't fully know if that goal from, you know, the before 30 goal was going to happen, just because everything was kind of increasing with her health and everything like that.

But I did talk to her a lot about it, and she wanted me to do it, even though she kind of knew that she wasn't going to be there when I did do it.

And those were hard conversations, But I felt even in those tough times, I still felt motivated to do that for her and for me.

And so I think the last maybe six months or so, I.

Once I booked the trip and I knew I was going to do this, I started thinking about her a lot more, and I realized that not only can I complete this dream for myself and for her in my mind, but I can use this as a platform to spread awareness for blood cancers and leukemia specifically and have her name attached to something that is so important to me.

And so, yeah, I think it snowballed into something where I got into contact with you guys, obviously, and at vector, and it turned into something that.

That was way bigger than I.

Than I anticipated.

And I wanted to create a charity aspect of it and raise funds and awareness.

And it all kind of snowballed the last few months before the trip, and I'm really glad I was able to do that.

Well, climbing Kilimanjaro, of course, is not a small feat in itself.

Now, starting all those different organizations and having a purpose behind it, of course, makes it even bigger and harder to accomplish what were some of Those bigger or biggest lessons that you've learned through your preparation.

First, endurance, leadership, purpose.

I mean, what was.

Tell us a little more about that process and what you learned from it.

Yeah, so I think this is probably the hardest thing I've done mentally and I think it taught me a lot about myself.

I've always had these kind of big dreams and ideas of this kind of thing and I never, you know, you don't really know if you can do that until, until you do it.

And I was honestly a little scared going into it.

I didn't know what to expect.

You know, you do your research and you train for it physically and things.

But like I said, you don't, you don't really know.

So I, I think, I think the biggest lesson I learned was to accept what's coming to you and try to tackle it in a good mindset and put one foot in front of the other quite literally in this case.

I think a lot of people would be surprised on, on what you can do and accomplish if you kind of just never give up in that aspect.

So, yeah, I was surprised about just when we were doing all the research and you know, putting together some of the promotional materials and stuff like that.

The success rate is higher than I thought it was because of.

Yeah, how many people you would think, I guess that just one step in front of each other mentality is what gets you to the top.

Instead of.

Yeah, of course, a lot of preparation stuff, but I was surprised at the success rate of it.

And of course every great climb has a logistical side, so we'll delve into that a little bit.

So what were some of the challenges about getting there, coordinating everything behind the scenes?

There's definitely one thing to say, I'm going to do this, and you kind of have an idea of what it was.

And then, you know, you and your dad were sending us videos of kind of the behind the scenes and what happens and the process.

And a lot of it is very surprising if you've never done something like that.

So what was that like for you?

Yeah, so I think the obvious logistical issue is getting there.

It's in, in all the way in Africa, obviously, so quite far away.

I've done kind of long haul flights before, but this was.

So we flew from Atlanta to Qatar, which was like 13 hours, I think, and then we had a 10 hour layover in Qatar and then another long flight to into Tanzan.

So that was, that was a lot because you knew mentally that was sort of you're traveling for two days and Then you also have to go climb a mountain at the end of it.

So it's kind of like a little bit draining.

But I was with two of my good friends and we, you know, we kept.

Kept the spirits up, obviously.

But I think logistically, and there's so much that goes into it, and we had an incredible team with Altezza.

And I knew that in the back of my head with Vector.

We were in contact up until the last second.

I lost.

Lost the signal before we started.

And that was so helpful to me, I think, mentally, just knowing I had had these people behind me and our sponsors with Tyve.

I had them, you know, right here and had my Otis sunglasses on and turtle fur on my head.

It's like I knew I had this huge team behind me and that was really important to me to dive into that.

Yeah, for sure.

And you mentioned Altezza.

So we were, you know, again in the research for this.

Delighted to learn that like the month before or the month of that you went on the climb.

They became a B corp like us, which was the super fun and made the connection all the more meaningful.

So again, we talked a little.

We kind of hinted at how good the meals are and like saw the videos.

People need to Google the videos of kind of their porters in action.

And it's really astounding what all they do.

So you want to tell us a little bit more about Altezza and kind of how they operate?

Yeah, as you say, they were incredible.

I think I had.

I did a lot of research prior and I landed on Altezza.

And yeah, I couldn't be more happy with that decision.

The team.

I want to shout out the three guides we had, specifically George, Pascal and Oswald were our three guides for our expedition.

I think we had a team of.

I think it was 28 other porters with us.

So it was a massive, massive operation.

And there were only five.

Five climbers.

So, yeah, it was a huge operation.

And every single day I was in complete awe of their work ethic.

And, you know, I wasn't always in the greatest mood.

You know, you'd wake up cold, tired, and you gotta go hike 15 miles.

And it's like.

And they're the ones caring way more than me.

They do this more often.

And they're constantly smiling and asking if you need something or helping you up.

Quite literally sometimes.

Yeah, I was in awe of their.

Of them.

And we would.

I think I mentioned it to you in a past conversation, but we had camps every night, obviously set up.

And when we would leave the next morning.

We would be the first ones to leave because we didn't really have anything to take with us.

So we would set out and about halfway through the day, the entire team of forders would pass us.

After spending the entire morning packing up the entire camp, cleaning everything, whatever it is, they would pass us almost running up the mountain, and it was incredible.

And then by the time we would get to camp that night, they would have everything set up, be cooking dinner, all the tents set up.

So it was truly incredible.

And I couldn't have had a better experience with that company, Altesa.

And we'll put like, a couple of notes and of course, a link to the company once we publish your interview.

But yeah, it sounds like an incredibly professional, efficient, and a great purpose, too.

Being a B Corp, I think that speaks very, very highly of kind of where their priorities are and the kind of company that they are.

So congratulations to Altesa.

Also, you mentioned a couple of all the other sponsors because for us, it was very interesting to kind of follow the preparations from a couple steps behind what you were doing and just realizing that there's so much people kind of excited about what you were doing.

We sent a couple of emails out and maybe, Christy, you can talk a little bit about that in our B Corp community.

And a lot of them actually responded to my surprise.

So it's exciting.

Yeah, it was.

Well, of course, we had, as he said, turtle fur provided some of the outerwear to keep him warm.

How cold was it on the summit for, like, in the 30s.

Blowing wind.

Yeah, it was in the single digits with before the wind, so it was very cool.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You were layered up for sure.

Otis Eyewear, I think you said those were the nicest sunglasses you'd ever owned and were kind of afraid to travel with them.

And then of course, our great friends at Supply Chain now and TIVE and our friend Alla Tarantova, so.

Yeah, but.

And it was fun to have, like, the TIVE capability, which is the same trackers that we use for our clients.

But just to, you know, we're up all hours of the day and night, constantly refreshing to see where you were and what's happening.

And, you know, Adrian was very grateful that we had, like, the shock tracker on to make sure there was no falls or anything like that.

I don't think he slept that entire week, even though he wasn't there.

And he's like, here's where he is, here's where he is.

And so that was really fun.

But, yeah, how was it?

You Knew people were watching you live the whole time.

Did you think about that much?

I mean, you said when you started you did, but it did.

Was that at the forefront of your mind whenever you got to the summit and everything that's happening on those days, you did not want to get up?

Yeah, it was kind of a bizarre feeling knowing, because I did.

It did pop up here and there.

You know, I suddenly realized if we're in the middle of nowhere, nothing's around us.

And it's like, I know somebody's kind of knows where I am.

It was very bizarre, but also obviously a little comforting knowing I had this whole group of people, like, keeping track of me.

So, yeah, it was a cool experience.

I obviously lost signal for most of the trip, so it would have been cool to kind of, you know, interact a little bit more.

But knowing that that information was going out was a very cool feeling.

Well, I thought it was very interesting to get all those texts from Adrian kind of explaining at what point you were and when some of these signals, because of whatever technology or satellite connectivity, Adrian's like, wait a minute, what's going on?

It hasn't moved.

I'm like, it must be the technology.

I'm sure he's still moving.

He should be fine.

He should be fine.

Which is interesting, right?

Because we have such an amazing technology that can tell us all this, but then at the same time, we rely sometimes too much on it.

And you're just there walking one step at a time, regardless of whether the technology captured or not.

But, Kieran, I want to change gears a little bit here.

You talked about turning something very deeply personal into something that it's inspiring others.

For all of those that are listening to us, that may have some similar goals or different goals, but also incredibly important for them.

What would you recommend them?

What advice would you give them to kind of discover your own purpose in life?

You just turned 30.

You went through a horrible experience with your mom passing, but also amazing with everything that you've done for her and all the teachings and lessons that she gave you and your siblings.

How can people just find the joy in life and the one thing that motivates them to accomplish the goals that they have set for themselves?

I think the best thing that I did for myself, and it's a continual process.

It's not just a one time thing, but I think it's very important for people to sit down and ask yourself some hard questions, to really find, you know, what you love, what you love to do, who you want to be around.

What you would like your life to look like.

And you don't have to have, you know, every single answer immediately, but those kind of questions.

I think people get caught up too much in, you know, daily life a lot, and it's.

It's very hard with work and, you know, just general life, too.

You kind of get into this almost automated mode, and you realize, you know, a few years pass or you feel like you don't have time to do something or something like that.

So I think sitting down with yourself and asking yourself those hard questions and making hard decisions, and it's easier said than done, obviously.

But I think it's very important to know yourself as best you can before you can kind of set out into the world with what you want to do and, you know, surround yourself with people that make you happy and find that thing that gives you joy, even in days that you're in a bad mood, like I was a couple of times on the mountain.

Yes.

And you also mentioned to our staff, whenever you spoke to our staff, that you listened to Harry Potter on the way up to help distract you, which I love.

So that's hysterical.

Well, as we wrap up here, I have a couple more questions for you.

Kind of first, since in the past, you know, six weeks, I guess now almost since you've been back, you've been meeting with people in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, blood cancer societies.

So you, of course, have gone through that with your mother, Kathy, and you have climbed for a cure.

We were raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, but now you have kind of a different understanding of it.

So I'm curious as to what you've kind of learned in these meetings or throughout the climb or doing your own research or just through Kathy's diagnosis.

What have you learned that has been surprising?

I know the statistics were shocking to me.

As I was kind of saying earlier, it's very easy to kind of get into your own little world when you're going through something like that.

And that's fair.

You know, that's a very human reaction.

But now that I'm, you know, coming out the other end of that, it's very apparent that there's an entire world of people that have gone through something like this.

And that kind of, you know, group mentality and getting through things together type of mentality is.

That's the biggest thing, I think that has helped me the last six months or so.

I've done volunteer work now with Blood Cancer United, and it was hard, honestly, to be There because it's sort of in your face again, all these things.

But it also felt through that sadness.

It felt right for me to be there.

And if I can provide any sort of help and, you know, no one has the answers.

No one has.

I can't get everyone the cure or anything like that.

But for me to have gone through something like that, it seems a shame for me not to share my story.

And even if I can help one person just by having a conversation, I think that's really important.

So I think that realization that you're not alone and there are people that even strangers that can know what you, you've gone through or going through, and, and vice versa.

So I think that's really important for anyone listening.

Yeah, for sure.

And I, I mentioned one of the statistics that was super shocking to me was leukemia.

And Lymphoma Society said approximately every three minutes, one person in the US Is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma, which is just a staggering statistic.

So thanks for helping bring this to our attention and for everybody's attention that you've affected during this process.

And then we were talking a little bit about this before we got on recording.

But what is, what is your next big challenge?

So I've got a bit crazy.

So I've, I've, maybe I've had this urge since I was little, too, which I think is what got me into hiking a little bit.

But I've, I always watched, you know, Everest documentaries and things like that.

So I've had this in the back of my mind.

And, you know, the past 20 years, I'm like, do I really want to do this?

And since I've done Kilimanjaro, I cannot stop thinking about, you know, actual mountain climbing.

And I think that that's what I want to dedicate my, my 30s to is, is to be a crazy person and attempt that.

So it's a good time.

So, yeah, I've, I've made the first steps to.

I found a wonderful company online that I think in December, I'm going to do like an, you know, an actual rock climbing, like, ropes course.

And it's going to be a long process, but I want to learn all those things and then tackle the even bigger mountains.

So.

And you mentioned the New York City Marathon maybe as well.

Yeah.

I've also gotten into running recently just to kind of stay in shape after Kilimanjaro and that it kind of stuck because of my obsessively competitive personality.

So.

Yeah.

So doing that, I just ran seven miles this morning, which I don't remember the last time I've done that.

So.

Wow, that's fantastic.

And congratulations, you know that we'll be here waiting and supporting you all the way.

You have again, a great, inspiring attitude towards life and I hope that a lot of our listeners are as excited and inspired by your example as we are.

I wish my kids actually learn a lot from your experience and kind of enjoy life the way you seem to be enjoying it.

So thank you again for sharing your experience with us.

How can our listeners connect with you?

And of course continue giving to the Climb for a Cure donation fund through the end of the year.

Yeah.

So throughout this process I've been pretty active on Instagram, so you can follow me on there.

It's my first last name on Instagram and in that bio on my profile I have a link to the donation site.

So we're still trying to do that until the end of the year.

So.

Awesome.

Yeah.

And we'll put that in the show notes as well.

As noted, we're doing this in honor of Kathy Pertill and the funds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

So great cause.

Hopefully you've learned a little bit through this process with us and every little bit helps.

So please, if you have anything left over to give or want to skip a Starbucks run, then put it toward this cause.

But thank you so much, Kiran.

This was fun.

I'm so glad we got to have you here in front of this audience.

You've spoken to our staff, we've spoken with you a number of times.

But I'm glad we got to have you here on logistics with purpose as well.

Especially of course, a shout out to Tive Turtle Fur Otis Eyewear supply chain.

Now Alla Tata Renova.

Sorry, Ella.

Well on her son.

Right.

And her son who made a video as well.

So yes, go to our, our LinkedIn and look at all of these amazing videos from the past and photos of Kieran at the top.

And you know, if you're going to hang out on social media, then go look at good things.

But thank you everyone for joining us today.

We really appreciate it.

If you enjoyed this conversation then we'll have another good one in two weeks time.

So we'll see you then.

And don't forget to hit subscribe.

Thank you.