Brian Sims Climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro, Earns a New Nickname Along the Way


Sims looking rugged and accomplished at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. | Photo from Facebook.

Sims looking rugged and accomplished at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. | Photo from Facebook.

State Representative Brian Sims climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. He began the trek right after Christmas to raise funds for the Military Assistance Project (MAP), an initiative that provides legal and housing services to Philadelphia veterans.

I talked to him before he left, and he told me it would take him and his group of civilians and veterans five days to reach the summit. According to the time outline he gave me, they hit the peak, Uhuru Point, on schedule and now he’s on his way back home.

On his Facebook page he posted that “I’ve got a long trek to get home—just in time for my Swearing-In Ceremony. [The return trip] goes from Kilimanjaro to Nairobi to Doha to Philly and finally to Harrisburg. I’ll share videos and pictures soon but for now, it was HARD and amazing!”

He posted some photos and video of his adventure on Facebook. In the video clip below he explains that his African guides have him the nickname “Kiduku,” the Swahili word for his “mohawk,” which he shaved into his head just before leaving.