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By Siobhan Grant A DETERMINED teenager from Kilclief has turned a personal diagnosis into an extraordinary fundraising challenge, helping to raise awareness of scoliosis while supporting vital research. Year 12 Assumption Grammar School student Leah Savage was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in January 2026. Rather than allowing her diagnosis to hold her back, Leah decided to use her experience to help others living with the condition. Scoliosis is a condition in which the spine develops an abnormal sideways curvature and rotation. As part of her treatment, Leah wears a spinal brace to help stabilise her spinal curve and prevent it from worsening. One of her hopes is that treatment will allow her to avoid spinal fusion surgery in the future. This summer, Leah set herself an extraordinary challenge — ‘Everesting’ Saint Patrick’s Mountain in Saul. The challenge involved repeatedly climbing to the summit of the mountain until she had accumulated a total elevation gain of 8,849 metres, the height of Mount Everest. Leah took on the challenge while wearing her spinal brace, making the undertaking even more demanding. To complete her Everest-sized challenge, Leah made an incredible 134 trips to the summit over the course of her summer break. What began as a personal challenge soon became a community effort.