Minnesota sisters hike to top of Mount Kilimanjaro in honor of late brother

CHASKA, Minn. — Sisters Ashley and Sarah Costello just crossed a big one off the bucket list.

"It was just a trip of a lifetime," Ashley said. "When we summited, I think everyone just turned to each other and started sobbing."

The pair spent nearly a week climbing to the roof of Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro. It wasn't a dream of their own. It was their brother's.

"I just know that he is smiling down on us because we did it," Sarah said.

"We knew that he would be so proud of us," Ashley said. "And so excited for us."

It was an adventure Tom Costello planned himself. But three weeks before the trip of a lifetime, the healthy 24-year-old died unexpectedly in a freak water skiing accident at the family cabin in June 2021.

"Although it doesn't bring him back, and it doesn't make the situation any easier, I do think this is the exact way that he would want to be remembered and honored," Ashley said.

READ MORE: Chaska man's legacy continues through organ donation, foundation: "He keeps getting to live on"

In his short 24 years, Tom lived a lot of life. He was a cancer survivor, lifelong learner and believer in random acts of kindness. His donated organs impacted 75 lives. Determined to carry on his legacy, his family created a nonprofit in his name. Working to raise funds for academic scholarships and organizations close to Tom's heart, like Make-A-Wish and Lifesource.

In addition to the Thomas A. Costello Legacy Foundation, family and friends continue to honor Tom by crossing items off his bucket list. First, it was running a marathon. Now, it's hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

"He had chosen the guides that we were going to go hike this mountain with, as well as the safari tour operating company," Ashley said. "We just knew that that was exactly what we wanted to do."

The trip was originally planned for Tom and Ashley. In the midst of grief, Ashley told the guide Tom signed up for to keep the money.

"I wanna make sure that I do this," Ashley said. "So just keep the money and put it towards the next trip. I don't want a refund right now. That was kind of fun, the money that Tommy had put down — we were all able to use."

The sisters and four others who wanted to honor Tom set out to take the trip he was robbed of.

"It felt like he had planned it for us," Ashley said.

A six-day climb to the top, battling fatigue, altitude sickness and mental strain.

"They [tour guides] were chanting his name, they just kept saying, 'Come on. Be Tommy strong. Do this for Tommy. You know you can do this,'" Sarah said.

Throughout the climb, Tom's presence was felt deeply.

"It did kind of feel like he was there doing it with us," Tom's friend and hiker Patrick Sweeney said. "Which definitely made it special."

"I don't know how people don't do this journey the way we did it," hiker Annie Cross said. "And not have a greater purpose, because that's really what kept us going."

"If we had a tough day, they would remind us there's a goal in mind," Jessie Berry said. "This is for Tom. This was what he wanted."

"I think we all had moments where we probably could have turned around, but knowing that Tommy was going to do all this and that it was that big of a trip for him," Ben Cross said. "I think helped us push through those elements and lean on each to make it to the top."

Since Tom's passing in 2021, the grief doesn't get any easier.

"When the sun started to rise I think a lot of us cried. And we just were like, that's him," Ashley said. "That just feels like him illuminating our path and telling us to keep going, telling us we're getting closer and to join him on the top."

But through the journey, there's been lessons along the way.

"It's kind of similar to grief, where you can't think too far ahead of the end goal or what it's going to look like," Sarah said. "I mean, you're hiking up this mountain and you can see the summit in the distance. You just think there's no way. There's no way we can get there. You can't just think about the end goal, all you can do is stay present. Put one foot in front of the other and you get there eventually."

And with those lessons — moments to live out "Tommy Strong."

"We actually brought his ashes with us," Ashley said. "We had it in our day pack. We carried him with us every single step of the way and then spread his ashes at the top."

The third annual Thomas A. Costello Legacy Foundation Golf Tournament is set for June 10. Registration is open now. All proceeds go towards scholarships for students at Chaska High School and UW Madison.