Wheelchair-Confined NJ Man To Climb Mount Kilimanjaro

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A courageous Morris County man will attempt “his impossible” — climbing Africa’s highest peak in his wheelchair.

Jeff Harmon, of Boonton, has been in a wheelchair since 2017 due to a neurological disease called Adrenomyeloneuropathy, or AMN. While the disease has taken away the use of his legs, it has not taken away his courageous and determined spirit.

From Sept. 8 to Sept. 13, Harmon and a team of 32 other brave souls will attempt to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa at 19,340 feet.

“Living with AMN, a progressive neurological disease, has changed what’s possible for my body—but it hasn’t changed what’s possible for my life,” Harmon said. “My goal wasn’t just to summit Kilimanjaro. It was to prove something bigger: that purpose and community can carry us where ability alone cannot.”

The journey is funded through Harmon’s nonprofit, My Impossible, an organization that aims to “create a movement around the world of people who take on what they once thought impossible, transforming not only their lives but the community that supports them.”

More than $100,000 has been raised for Harmon’s adventure, covering logistic costs, traveling expenses, training expenses, and more.

Since January 2024, Harmon and his team have been preparing and training for the intense climb. In addition to training his body through workouts and hikes across the country, Harmon’s wheelchair has been equipped with push-assist mechanisms, carrying harnesses, and all-terrain capabilities.

“One of the biggest shifts has been learning to lead from my weakness, not in spite of it,” he says. “This climb is about trusting others, trusting God, and carrying emotional weight as intentionally as physical weight.”

This past weekend, Harmon and his team were given a special send-off party at Sanofi US's headquarters in Morristown. The event raised tens of thousands of dollars for the adventure and gave more than 130 residents, friends, and family an opportunity to wish Harmon and his team the best of luck.

To learn more about Harmon’s adventure, and to see how you can help, visit My Impossible’s website.