Chronicles: Peak Connections Christopher Lion '86 and Claire Mackin '20 discovered their W&L connection in Africa, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

By Laura Lemon
February 5, 2026

The group of 10 didn’t know each other when their planes landed in Tanzania, but they all had two things in common: a connection to Parkinson’s disease and a plan to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. As one of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research’s (MJFF) endurance events, the trip served as a fundraiser, with all the proceeds going to research to find a cure. When Claire Mackin ’20, senior growth specialist for MJFF, was asked to be the staff representative for the event, she jumped at the opportunity despite not considering herself a hiker.

“My dad has had Parkinson’s for 15 years and always dreamed about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and I felt so incredibly lucky that I got to do it in honor of him while supporting the foundation and this wonderful team,” says Mackin.

The day before the group started its trek up the mountain, Mackin overheard the words “Lexington, Virginia” in a nearby conversation. She wandered over to inquire and learned that fellow hiker Christopher Lion graduated with the Class of 1986.

“After getting over the fun surprise that we both went to the same tiny college, it was fun to compare our experiences,” says Mackin. “Christopher was one of the last classes to graduate as single sex. While this was so different from the experience I had, there were still so many similarities as we talked about the academics, professors, Lexington, the Blue Ridge Mountains and so much more.”

Lion was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018. In the years since, he founded The Quiver, which showcases writing and art crafted by those with the disease and explores the relationship between Parkinson’s and the creative arts. While always an active individual — he’s run a dozen marathons and walked the complete Camino de Santiago — living with Parkinson’s pushed him to seek greater adventures in his retirement.

“I probably wouldn’t have done Kilimanjaro if it weren’t for Parkinson’s,” says Lion. “I think that Parkinson’s has broadened my scope and allowed me to think beyond marathons. … It set the foundation for me so that I knew that I could do hard things, and I knew that I could do things that required endurance, consistent effort and training. There’s a real tradition of Parkinson’s athletes because it’s a chronic disease — the best thing you can do for it is to exercise.”

At 11 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2025, the group departed camp and reached the highest peak in Africa at 10 a.m. the following day. The group raised over $130,000 for Parkinson’s research, and after gathering around the famed etched wooden boards, Mackin and Lion snapped a W&L photo for the memory books.

“Meeting Christopher was a reminder about how small the world is and all the W&L connections that surround us, but it was also a reminder about the good that can come from hard things,” Mackin says. “Christopher and I would never have met without our connection to Parkinson’s and MJFF.”

“When I meet someone with Parkinson’s, I feel a connection with them,” Lion says. “I feel a kinship with them that I wouldn’t otherwise feel. And I have the same fee;ing when I meet someone from W&L.”