Thurs 12th Jan 2012,
Mon 26th Sept 2011, NASA style countdown is on…………..
So this is it!!!! I will be leaving for the top of Africa in just 4 days time. I am so unbelievably excited now because I have been building up to this for so long and I am not totally sure it has sunk in that I am going this week. Where do I start……?
Well the packing has started, and stopped, been packed and unpacked so many times it should very soon be able to do it itself with no help from me what so ever. I am pretty sure I have got everything I need now, just need to sort things into dry bags and stuff it all in. I tried putting it all in my big rucksack the other night and carry it and I am not going to lie, I did find it hard to get up off the sofa with it on my back. I had to kind of kick my legs in the air and heave myself with rucksack off the sofa to a bent over standing position to then tighten up all straps. Once I was up there was no stopping me. That should give people a good laugh watching me try to do that after getting off the tube on Friday!!
With regards to my training regime as I said I went walking with Sarah Cassidy a few weekends ago and then Lizzi Hamill and I decided that we would go walking camp over the night and walk again on the Sunday, with all of our gear. I had a really great weekend and remembered just how much I love camping. Although I had not done it since guides about 15 years ago I really enjoyed the whole experience. We went for an 8 hour walk on the Saturday and then I went for a 4 hour walk on the Sunday. We walked slightly further than we first thought on the Saturday due to my not so great navigational skills. It was probably a good thing as walking long distances is what we were there for. We had a little hedgehog friend join us in our tent that night too which was amusing. Although I didn’t sleep much I had a great time and loved it. I also decided to camp in my garden for a few nights last week to get used to sleeping in the tent and getting up early for training. This was very enjoyable and I must say I was snug as a bug in a rug!!
I have also been doing some altitude training the last few weeks at Tottenham Hotspur training ground. I must start by saying thank you to Daniel and Tracey for allowing me to use it in the lead up to my climb. I really appreciate your generosity and help. I would also like to say thank you to everyone I have met while doing it, you have all made me feel so welcome and been very kind letting me use the treadmill when I am there. A special thank you goes to Ed Leng for all of his help and advice and for coming in early so that I can train. It means a lot when people go out of their way to help. I have thoroughly enjoyed my sessions there and I am sure that they will be beneficial to my climb. I have also been going to the gym for 2-3 hours after this last week, hitting it hard trying to just walk for long periods slowly and on high inclines. The steppers and climbing machines have also helped too. I am planning to take it easy this week as they say that you should rest your body the week before you leave so that it can recover and rest. I must say that I am loving this advice right now!!
My fundraising has truly passed any amount I could have imagined raising and it is all down to the generosity of everyone who has donated. Every single penny will help to save children’s’ lives at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The support and good luck wishes I have received have been so touching and people’s kind words will be in the forefront of my mind on that last push to the summit. I remember thinking at the start of this that I didn’t want to set a target which is too high, as I didn’t want to be disappointed if I did not reach it. Now to be able to say that with the help of so many people I have more than doubled it genuinely gives me shivers when I think of it. Like my thanks to GOSH, my thanks to everyone who has supported, helped, given me good luck wishes and donated will never be enough.
And so this is where I am at…….
I have been training hard the last few weeks and am now easing off to rest my body. I am packing and unpacking, sorting and shifting and pretty much just stuffing it all right on in there so that I can do my bag up. I am a little nervous but so excited to get on that mountain and conquer it. I am looking forward to the highs, the lows, the views and the landscape; the starry night sky and the sunset from the summit. I am looking forward to meeting my trekking family and although I know it is going to be tough, I am looking forward to challenging myself and seeing what I can achieve when I focus and push myself. I have no doubt that I will make the summit and cannot wait to get back and be able to fill you all in on my entire trip. Prepare yourself people; I am not going to be missing out a single detail.
For now I say goodbye xxx
Sun 11th Sept 2011, The real countdown has begun………..
Ok everyone it is now less than 20 days, yes 20 DAYS until I leave for my challenge. I am sorry for my lack of blogs but I can assure you I have been training hard and getting all of my kit together. I am working hard in the gym, putting that treadmill up to it’s highest incline and working up a sweat on the climbing machines too. Along with step ups to strengthen my thighs I have been walking in my boots and just yesterday I was out walking just outside High Wycombe. This is the closest place to me which has a good varied terrain. I practised with all of my gear too which was very good and enjoyable too with Sarah Cassidy’s company. I hit Cotswold again today trying my best to get everything left on my list. I managed to get most of it but have a few more bits to get. All will come together in the end, I know it!!
I am feeling very very excited, a little bit nervous and sad it will soon be over. I know this is a silly thought and getting very much ahead of myself as I need to do the climb first, but with less than 3 weeks to go now in just over 4 weeks time I will have done it. All of my two years planning, fundraising and training will have come to a head. I am very confident that I will get to the top of Kilimanjaro with my physical training helping me alongside my determined and more to the point stubborn mind I know that I will make it not only for myself but for everyone who has shown their support since the beginning and for everyone at GOSH. The doctors, the nurses, the little patients and their families. I know that I am by no means in this thing alone and that I too would not be at the point I am, here before I go, if it was not for everyone’s generosity, kindness, support and good luck wishes.
I will be checking in again before I go but for now thank you and bye bye xxx
Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd July 2011, Van Hage Collection…………….
Well what can I say?! What a lovely way to end my run of collections. This was my last collection on this fundraising road and it really was full of mixed emotions for me.
I would like to start by saying a huge thank you to Van Hage, Great Amwell, Ware for allowing me to hold this collection, all of the staff on the day who were very supportive and accommodating and to all of their customers who brightened my day.
When I first realised I would be holding this one all by myself I was a little apprehensive as this would mean that I would need to set up alone and be stood all day with no one to talk to during the quiet times. This was not however a problem as I found out that I can in fact hold an interesting conversation with myself. Although funny at times I didn’t need to do this too often as I had so many friendly people approaching me wanting to know all about what I was doing. The amazing kindness of all of the shoppers means that a fantastic £871 was raised over the weekend which I am adding to my total. Your generosity really shows in this amazing total, every penny of which will be going to GOSH to help sick children.
I had two very enjoyable days and met so many kind and generous people who were wishing me well on my trip and good luck wishes for me to make it to the top and back home safe. It was hard standing there all day alone for the simple fact that I could not go to the toilet and leave everything and I was getting very hungry and could not go for food. I was stood opposite an ice cream van both days which entertained and haunted me. I got many laughs from little children coming out and spotting it demanding they have one and seeing their face when they were told those words either yes or no. In contrast to this I was having to look at everyone passing me by with their 99 flake cones all day long and try to stop myself salivating as people approached me. At times I clearly didn’t cover my desire for an ice cream well enough as a very kind man named Richard decided to buy me one. I was very touched by this as he just came back from the van with one for me too. I sincerely appreciated this and thoroughly enjoyed it. While I was eating it there was one little boy who had his eyes fixed on my cone. As I leant in he was extremely disappointed to realise that I was giving him a sticker and not my ice cream. Oh there were tears, sorry!!
At times throughout both days I had moments of having to hold back tears, and not succeeding on one occasion. This was because someone had said something really nice to me or just giving me some really lovely advice and it dawned on me that this was my last collection and I would not be doing this again. I had a few moments too of just standing there thinking what a lovely way to spend a day. Outside in the sunshine, meeting wonderfully friendly people all to help GOSH. They really are my ‘good days’. Before heading up this fundraising road I never would have thought that I could enjoy these collections as much as I have. The reason I enjoy them so much is because of the caring, generous, kind and compassionate people I meet wherever I go. I am so humbled by encouragement and selflessness that has been shown to me by everyone. I am genuinely going to miss my little collections, meeting so many lovely people, hearing their own stories and experiences of GOSH and adventures they have been on too. I know that the hard part of this whole challenge is yet to come but I feel sad that this part of my journey is drawing to a close. I have gained so many skills and learnt so much about what I personally can do and what others can endure and are willing to give, it really has enlightened me with memories and lessons I will take with me forever. xxx
Thurs 23rd June 2011, £10,000 Baby!!!…………………………
So today, with thanks to so many wonderfully kind and generous people we have hit the new £10,000 target. It has not sunk in yet just what an amazing achievement this is. Every penny of this money will be used to help and save the lives of so many children. It is all down to such humbling acts of kindness and people taking the time to donate, attend an event or give me much needed words of wisdom and support.
Thank you so much for coming this far with me on this journey, there is no way that I would be at this point without you. You have done your part for GOSH and mine is coming fast. I am so focused and determined I will make it to the top, I have no doubt in my mind that as I am closing in on the top, however hard it may seem, my thoughts of everyone who has donated and supported me and the children we will collectively help through this will keep pushing me to be able to get my banner out next to that sign on the top of Africa.
Thank you never seems to be enough but I really do. Now let’s see how much further we can push this grand total!!!!! xxx
Tues 21st June 2011, The Countdown Is On……………………
So after 16 months of pretty much training and fundraising alternately I am now on the home stretch with Kilimanjaro in sight. My little countdown clock is telling me 100 days to go!!!! As I am getting ever closer to my target amount and upping the training on a weekly basis I am now getting very excited and nervous about the task in hand. The things I have learnt over the last year and a half and the skills and knowledge I have gained has been truly remarkable, from organising events, to being more assertive in asking for things, not to mention being a guest speaker.
The one aspect that has really touched me and has risen above all expectations I had of this challenge is the support from everyone I know and people I don’t know too. I have met so many wonderful people sharing stories and experiences of GOSH with me and wishing me luck on my trip. To all the very kind people who have donated not only their money but prizes and their time and wishes too thank you it has been astonishing. Although stressful at times I have thoroughly enjoyed what this challenge has brought to my life so far and I am now focused on the next 100 days of fundraising and training (well not so much the training at times but it needs to be done.) Like my thanks to GOSH there will never be enough words to thank everyone for their support, I know that I could never have got to this stage without it, so……. xxx
Sun 19th June 2011, Car Boot Sale……………………………………
After having rummaged through our house and realising how much we have that could be thrown out we decided to do a car boot sale to get rid of as much as we possibly could and we could also make it a little fundraiser at the same time. This is now my thinking with almost everything in my life at the moment, I could do that and make it a fundraiser. Oh there is money to be raised practically everywhere. Thank you to Mumand Dad has to be said as I am sure that they both would have preferred to have a share in the profits, after all some of the things we were getting rid of were very sentimental items. I think they are now just thinking the faster I get to my new target the faster they can have half of the house back which I have taken over and the faster we have weekends free with no me getting stressed about things I need to get done and fundraisers I need to organise.
I must say that it was actually a very successful day indeed, and although at the start we had a few people thinking that some how we were giving things away for free or that it was buy one item and shove 3 more into your bag for free. I can assure you that this was not the case and if it was then we would have clearly had a sign up saying so. The only sign we had up was the one saying all money was going to GOSH and so if people were still prepared to make up there own special offers then fine, go right ahead. I must say that Marlenewas a lot better at dealing with people like this catching them in the act and giving them what for. Go Maz!! After a rocky start which didn’t fill me with much hope as lots of clothes had gone only we were not sure how much of it had been paid for, it did get better as the day went on and we met some lovely people who found that our old tat was in fact their treasure. We made a fantastic amount of £216.73 which too can be added to my total so far. With the help and support of everyone I meet especially friends and family we are ever closer to the £10,000 mark which is truly astounding. Such an amazing amount. Thank you xxx
Sat 4th June 2011, Jamie At Home Party………………………..
Tonight I held a Jamie At Home Partyat mine so that a few friends could come round for a chilled girly night in and check out some of the Jamie At Home kitchen and Garden products. They went down a treat and we all had a very enjoyable evening indeed. Kate Wright our host who was very kind in helping me organise this and who originally had the idea to do it as a fundraiser was unable to be at the party due to illness but she did her very best and bought round all of the products setting them up lovely and talked me through the whole night. Marlene Munns was an absolute star helping me with everything from buying the nibbles/feeding of the 5000 to making her gorgeous fruit and veg platters which went down a treat. The lucky stars raised a lovely £50 and everyone had an enjoyable night I hope. We played the dvd and did a quiz which turned out to be very amusing indeed. I would like to thank everyone for coming along I had a great night for a great cause. xxx
Sat 28th May 2011, Lakeside Collection…………………………..
Today I held a collection at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock which was a great success. We met some really lovely people and again heard a lot of lovely stories of people who have had experiences at GOSH just like myself. We raised a fantastic £221.40 which will be added to my ever growing amount to hand over to GOSH at the end of the year.
I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff at the shopping centre and to all of my happy helpers, Marlene Munns, Rachel Hainsworth, Becky Alford, Sam Buskin, Eleanor Da Costa and Helen Coxon all of your help was very much appreciated. I would also like to say a special thank you to a very kind family who gave their time help me with my collection. I met two lovely young boys and their father who decided to help me and I just want to say that the two young boys knew so much about charity and giving, it was really lovely to see. The fact that they gave their time to help really meant a lot and the lessons that their father is teaching them is a true inspiration and will be something that will stay with me forever. The boys were so polite, friendly and willing to help and were a credit to their parents.
It was another triumphant collection and now with the generosity of everyone I have met so far while taking on this challenge and fundraising I know that all of the money raised will be used for the good of children all over the world. Helping to give them the kindest care in the most pleasant surroundings with the best technology, medication and doctors there are while being able to keep family close by so that every child has the best chance to not only survive but thrive and lead a happy and healthy life.
I know that I keep saying this now but the more I am fundraising and the closer my climb gets, the more the determination inside me comes to light as a result of hearing so many stories just like mine. I have such a greater appreciation for what happened to me as a baby and the work that GOSH carry out every day. I feel such gratitude towards this hospital and what they did for me and I hope that I can help people who have children going through the same thing I went through and give them hope that not only can their child survive but can go onto climb mountains and show their gratitude to the hospital just as I am. xxx
Sat 14th-Sun 15th May 2011, Snowdon Training Weekend….
So this weekend I went off to Snowdonia in Wales for my training weekend with Discover Adventure the company I am doing my trip with. I got the train down on the Friday morning so I had time to wander round Betws-y-Coed. I went into Cotswold to have a look round and get an idea of things I needed but to be honest I didn’t want to get anything major as I wanted to ask about kit on the weekend. I spoke to a man in there who had been up Kilimanjaro and he was giving me some really great tips and really helped me to figure out all the different layers needed. Now to be fair I had not really invested in a lot of kit for this weekend because I thought the weather has been mild and it is May so it should be fine. I just used a pair of cheap waterproof trousers I had got for my charity Car Wash and then an old waterproof coat I found in my brothers bedroom. I had got myself a day sack, poles and platypus and thought maybe it best to invest in a good base layer and mid layer for the weekend. So once I had wandered round and got myself water and snacks I headed up to the hostel. I met Ann on the bus who was also doing the training weekend and it was really nice to meet someone to chat to and also check I was going in the right direction!! After settling in I decided to have an early night and after meeting the two girls I was sharing a room with I went off to sleep ready for tomorrow.
Saturday morning we had a lovely breakfast and received our packed lunch for the day. We then had a quick brief about the day ahead saying that we were going to climb Snowdon today instead of tomorrow due to weather conditions. And so we headed out up to the summit of Snowdon. I hung back in the group and started off by meeting Nikki who will be on my Kili trip and talking to Vic one of the DA leaders who was telling us the real truth about what we have signed up to. It was so good to hear first hand what it will be like and he really did not sugar coat it in the slightest. He gave us the harsh facts of what it will be like. Once I had heard enough of that I decided to catch up with Sarah and Lizzie the two girls in my room. I must say that up until the first half an hour when my body realised what we were doing and got into it’s stride it was tough on my legs, but as soon as my body realised we were not stopping it seemed to accept what was ahead and take on the challenge and enjoy it too. So then about 40 minutes into our climb it started raining and then did not stop until I left on Monday afternoon. This meant that my £5 waterproofs were going to be tested to their limits. To be fair on the Saturday the rain was constant but light. I did soon realise that my base layer was working and just how good it was. I set off in the morning with my base layer, a mid layer fleece and my rain coat on. I quickly into the climb took off my fleece and spent the day in my base layer and coat. I was really amazed at how warm they kept me and although I am normally hot I now definitely know that lots of base layers will be better than thicker ones on the mountain. We stopped off for lunch about three quarters of the way up and it was lovely sitting on the side of the mountain watching the clouds pass by us as we ate and got to know each other. After our quick lunch we headed up the last part of the mountain. The weather closed in on us and by the time we reached the top the wind was howling and it felt like it was -20. We were all able to get our photo taken on the summit and Lizzie even got her foot out so that Vic could come to the rescue for a blister she had. She did say that is is not advisable to get your foot out on the top of a mountain. After a toilet stop and a misunderstanding on my part about stopping for a hot choc we made our way back down. As soon as we got off the top ridge and were sheltered from the wind it was a pleasant walk down. It was very tough on the knees on the way down and although i had poles with me I decided to use them tomorrow as I was doing fine without them. We got back to the hostel and everyone was looking forward to getting a nice warm shower and a hot drink. Once all showered and feeling alive again we had dinner and then met up in the games room for a talk telling us more about our trip and the kit we will and will not need. The tips and info in this meeting were invaluable and I now have a much clearer idea of what I need to buy which is great. I went to bed that night with a greater understanding of what my challenge will involve and a tiredness from a day pushing myself and enjoying the outdoors.
When I woke on Sunday morning my first thought was “Oh we have to walk all day again today”!! After my initial reservations I knew that this was why I was here and if I felt like that today imagine how I am going to feel on day 5 of Kilimanjaro. Today was going to be a shorter day but we would be climbing a lot steeper terrain and indeed it was. We were literally climbing today instead of trekking. We had to use our hands to pull ourselves up and use our bums to come down. I must say that I find this kind of activity more enjoyable than just walking up steep terrain, it definitely broke the day up a bit. Again once past the first half hour my body accepted that we were doing it all again. Today we set off in our waterproof trousers and coat as it was heavily raining as we left the hostel. This is pretty much how the day concluded too. As soon as we thought it was lifting it would then hit us with high winds and throw in some hail for good measure too. There was a point today where you could choose to head back down or carry on to the top. We were given this decision just after a particularly harsh clamber and I am pleased to say that it never crossed my mind to head back down. Although hard at times and being very wet I was thoroughly enjoying the day and knew that if I turned around half way up here there was no way I was getting to the top of Kilimanjaro. Plus the fact I don’t do giving up!! I was sad to be saying goodbye to Sarah and Lizzie as we made good friends but we said we would try and meet for our own little training weekend before we go off on our trips so I am looking forward to that.
So I carried on up and held back with Vic. I found this to be the best place as he was great company and also it made me go slower as I was finding it hard at times to hang back. Although we were doing such a good pace as a team we all kept together really well. I really did feel like I was in my element. Having never really had any interest in being outdoors and trekking and climbing before I really did feel at home here and was so surprised that even when totally soaked through, cold wet and tired I never wanted to stop or give in. I felt genuinely sad that I have never spent so much time doing this before, but better to start now than never.
Once we were nearing the top of the ridge there was a horrid steep walk up a scree terrain. The fog was thick, the wind was bitter and the rain was coming at you from the west hitting you as if trying its best to knock you over. We just headed up it in single file and silence, apart from a groan every now and then from someone finding it hard to breathe or with aching legs. I found this part the toughest and although I was breathing well and my legs were holding up just about it was probably the least enjoyable part of the whole trip. We were walking up this part for probably no more than 20 minutes and once we reached the top I was informed that this is what summit night of Kilimanjaro is like except it will be for 8 hours and at high altitude!! It really hit me just how harsh and horrid summit night will be but I am thankful to have got an insight into it to prepare. I have found that on tough sections like this I just get my head down, focus and count 1,2,3,4-1,2,3,4 and it seems to help me concentrate on the job in hand and make it slightly more bearable.
By now my hands were starting to get very cold as I only had little cotton ones which I did not want to get soaked until I really needed them and so up until now I had folded my raincoat over my hands to protect them. At this point I was fully aware that my £5 waterproofs were not holding up as they were shiny where the water had seeped through and was no longer resisting the water pelting it. We stopped for lunch a little after descending where we had some shelter from the wind. At this point my hands were starting to become claw like from cold so I decided to put my gloves on to eat a few bites of sandwich. Up until now I had just had my base layer and coat on but I thought this was a good time to put on my mid layer fleece as extra protection. I decided now that I would start to use my poles only because I have never used them and thought it best to test them out really. I did and to be honest I didn’t get on very well with them. I was trying to come down and use the poles to stabilise myself instead of my hands and I just felt more comfortable using my hands. I used them for a while but after falling over I decided hands were best. Vic said that you will need them on summit night most definitely but coming down is just whatever you feel comfortable doing. We got up and down in very good time indeed and I must say that when I saw the car park I was genuinely upset that this weekend was over. I felt I could have gone on longer and didn’t really want to finish. I guess this was partly because I didn’t know when I would get out like this again; finding free weekends and mountains near London is not easy at the best of times.
I am so glad that I came on this weekend, having met some lovely people and gained invaluable information to help me prepare for my trip. I think what I learnt most on this trip, (other than learning I need proper waterproofs) was just how much I enjoy and feel at home in the vast outdoors. I think this is going to be the start of a lifelong hobby being away from the city and surrounding myself with nature in all it’s glory taking on everything it wants to throw at me. I really felt alive and now more than ever am looking forward to getting to Tanzania and locking eyes on the Big One. xxx
Sat 7th May 2011, Waltham Cross Collection……………………
Well today I was back collecting at the same place it all started in March last year. I held my very first collection in WalthamCross hoping with my fingers crossed I would get close to the top of my £5,000 mountain. Here I was a year and 2 months later heading over the top and down the other side of that mountain towards my new £10,000 target.
It was another great collection, with so many words of support from shoppers passing by and people with stories of their own. We had a lovely day and raised a fantastic £184.36. I would like to thank Beverley for all of her help in organising my collection and all the staff I met on the day. Also to Clintons Cards for inflating my balloons for free to help make us stand out more.
A big thank you to my Mum for always coming along and helping me out when I need it and trying to keep me clam when I get stressed over the silly little things. Thank you to Kate, Rachel, Jackieand Marlene for all their help it is always very much appreciated. xxx
Sat 30th April 2011, Croagh Patrick Training Climb………….
So I decided to go away for the long weekend and thought why not go over to Mayo, Ireland to catch up with all the family and get in a bit of training while I was there. Dad and I flew over on the Friday morning and once we had sorted out the house ended up in the bog helping my uncle turn the turf.
So Saturday came and I had set my mind on climbing CroaghPatricktwice in the same day. I did however have to get company in shifts as I could not get any offers to climb bothtimes withme so it was decided that myself and Dad would climb the first go in the morning and then my cousin Vera would come up the second time with me later in the day. Croagh Patrick is 764m and we worked out that for it to be the same height as Kilimanjaro it would need to be 7.7 times higher. Having said this it really did awaken me to just what I am getting myself into.
Dad and I set off at around 1pm and made a good start. It was a good climb but at times it was very steep indeed and the scree and rocks were so loose you would just slide back down. We did stop for a lot of photos and to take in the amazing views over Westport. It really was a perfect day for the climb and I could tell that Dad was loving it. Obviously at times our photo pit stops were in fact just for water and a rest and were a lot more frequent on steeper inclines too. After around an hour and a half we reached the top and I must say that I found it a little emotional and the first thing that I then thought was goodness me imagine what I am going to be like when I reach the top of Kilimanjaro!!
So we stayed on the top for about half an hour I think and took in the views and ate our sandwiches before we had to go down. I had spoken to Vera when we were at the top and we had agreed that when she got there she would start to walk up and then I would meet her wherever she was and go back up with her. This was the best way to do it because it was coming up to 4pm when we were on our way down and we didn’t want to be on the mountain after dark. I must say that whilst going over the steep sections I did think to myself why have I said I will do this twice in one day. I was not looking forward to having to go over these sections again. As soon as I got to the top I forgot all about those horrid sections and said yes I am definitely coming back up here again later.
We started down and after seeing people coming down as we were going up we knew that there would be a few falls and lots of sliding. The rocks just slid away from under you and you needed to check each one before you put weight on it. Dad was the first one down and after checking he was okI must say that I had a little giggle. We made it down in very good time and met Vera on her way up about a quarter of the way up just before the steep push. We met Vera and said “right are we going to the top?” and we both enthusiastically agreed yes. So we set off up the tough section to get us started. We took it nice a slow and stopped often for water and to re apply suncream. I found it easier the second time and I am not sure if this was because I was thinking less about it as I was laughing so hard that I could have been walking anywhere or if I knew what to expect this time and so knew when the horrible parts were coming up and so prepared myself for them. Either way second time up was a lot less stressful and I really enjoyed it.
Vera and I had good long chats about what we have missed of each other over the last few years and when we reached the top we had a photo in St Patrick’s bed just as we had done all those years ago when we climbed it as children together. We sat at the top resting and watching people climbing it in bare feet. This was truly amazing and I take my hat and everything else off to them, they looked to be in a lot of pain but were working through it keeping strong for a family member. So we headed down and the wind was blowing hard, so hard in fact that we could barely hear each other. The views coming down were lovely and there were very few people on the mountain now. It was so peaceful and almost eerie as we walked along just the two of us. We made our way down chatting and laughing and before we knew it the sun was setting and we could see the gate. I must say that half the laughing on the way down was at each other as we realised our legs were starting to slow and thinking about the pain we were going to be in tomorrow morning.
After 8 hours walking up and down this mountain my legs, neck and shoulders were starting to seize up. As we reached the car we were ready to drop but I must say it felt good. I felt that I had achieved what I promised myself that morning and me being ever stubborn and determined not to go back on something I had said to myself accomplished my goal of that trip, to climb it twice. Thank you to Dad and Vera for coming along your company was very much appreciated. xxx
Tues 26th April 2011, Guess How Many Eggs In The Jar…….
My Easter fundraiser was a great success having a jar of Easter eggs on show at the Furzefield Centre Potters Bar and having customers and staff guess how many eggs for a donation of £1. Congratulations to Caroline for guessing the closest number with a guess of 299 and the amount of eggs in the jar was 293. I hope that you enjoy your large supply of chocolate eggs. This raised a fantastic £90 which totally exceeded my expectations of what I would raise on this. I am so happy and grateful to Angela Shipp at Furzefield for allowing me to do this and all of her support so far. Thank you xxx
Sun 27th March 2011, Quiz Night …………………………………
Well what can I say about the Quiz night back by popular demand? It was another very enjoyable evening and I have had so much lovely feedback from it. It was so great to see lots of familiar faces from the previous one and also lots of new faces which was lovely.
I would like to start by thanking George and his Family for all their help. From letting us hold the event at Cheshunt Football Club to helping set up and their hospitality on the night. It was very much appreciated. Next I would like to thank Liam Deroe for being a fantastic Quiz master bringing a great atmosphere and banter to the evening. Congratulations to Oh Goodness My Guinness for winning the quiz very well deserved indeed. Also congratulations to Catherine Banks who won the Signed Tottenham Hotspur Football. I know it has gone to a very worthy and appreciative home.
Thank you to everyone who donated raffle prizes there were lots of happy winners by the end of it.
The grand total of the evening was an amazing £822. It is an absolutely fabulous total and it all because of the support and turn out of the night. I really appreciate everyone for coming along to share the evening and I hope that you all enjoyed it as much as I did. I always worry so much before these events and then 5 minutes into them I forget why I was worrying and that is down to the kindness and support of you all so thank you so much. xxx
Wed 23rd March 2011, Charity Car Wash Success……………
Well, what can I say? What a fantastic day we all had at Cheshunt Fire Station washing cars. I would like to start by saying a huge thank you to Tim Dedman, Kevin Brown and all the firemen at the station. It was so kind of you to let me come together with you for this event and you all made us feel very welcome on the day. The day started great as it was the first warm sunny one of the year practically. This made for a perfect car washing day. We had a constant flow of cars passing through, some needed more elbow grease than others. You could tell who had been saving their car dirt just for us!! I never knew there were so many silver and white cars in Cheshunt. Some even donated more to be hosed down by a fireman with his shirt off. All in the name of charity obviously.
So the big total of the day was an amazing £800. This was split between myself and the Fire Fighter Charity. The Firemen were very generous enough to donate £300 of this to my challenge for GOSH. I was very touched by this as there were a lot more of them working on this day and I am therefore very grateful indeed for their generosity. It was an amazing amount to raise. My Mum raised £65 between selling refreshments and people sponsoring my climb which I will be adding to my total. You can check out the photos if you go onto my Facebook page GOSH! It’s Katie’s Kilimanjaro Challenge. Sorry still not able to upload photos onto here.
I would like to personally thank my happy helpers for the day. My Mum, Brother John, Marlene Munns and Lisa O’Hara for all of their help. I could not have gone along without you so thank you very much not only for your help with this but for all your help and support throughout this. It really is deeply appreciated. Thank you xxx
March 2011, Busy Month Ahead………………………………..
So we are into March already, this year is passing very fast right now which means that before I know it I will be standing on the top of Kilimanjaro!! Well I have a busy month ahead of me stating with a little fundraiser at the Furzefield Sports Centre, Potters Bar who have very kindly let me set up a “Guess The Number Of Eggs In The Jar” for Easter. I am very thankful for all of their support so far.
I am then holding a collection at Wembley Park Station on Sun 13th which I am looking forward to.
Then Saturday 19th I am holding a Charity Car Wash at Cheshunt Fire Station with the firemen and their chosen charity so bring your car along for the first wash of the year.
On Friday 25th The Quiz Night is back by popular demand at Cheshunt Football Club. Teams of 8, £5 on the door, raffle, prizes and licensed bar. For more info just give me an e-mail or look for updates on here. Well that is it for now I lookforwardtoseeingyou over the coming month if you can make any of these events. xxx
Sat 12th February 2011, Harlow Collection……………………..
Today I collected in The Water Gardens Shopping Centre in Harlow and had a lovely day. I would like to thank all the staff who helped me with my collection before and on the day. I would also like to thank Marlene Munns for all her help throughout the day, keeping me company and making me laugh. We made a lovely £186.59 which I will be adding to my total so far. We met some really lovely people and the response as always was so welcoming and supportive. Thank you to everyone who donated. xxx
Sat 5th & Sun 6th February 2011, Enfield Town Collection…..
This weekend I held a collection in Palace Gardens Shopping Centre in Enfield Town and again was overwhelmed withthekindandgenerous response from all the shoppers. I would firstly like to thank the management and security staff of the shopping centre who helped me both before to organise the collection and on the day. I would like to say a big thank you to Alan a member of the security team who brightened our days and very generously donated too. We made a fantastic amount of £486.67 and again heard so many wonderful, uplifting stories of others who have benefited from the work of GOSH and of people supporting and wishing me luck on my climb.
I would like to say a very special thank you to my wonderful team who very kindly gave up time of their weekend to come along and help me. My great team this week was made up of Jackie and Michelle Nelson, Rachel Hainsworth, Helen, John and Carol Kilgallon. I really could not do these collections without their help, setting up and being stood alone for such long periods of time so thank you all very much. It means a lot knowing I have your help and support. Another very successful collection all round, adding to my ever growing total, getting me closer to my new ever growing target of £10,000!! xxx
Sat 29th January 2011, Adventure Travel Live……………….
Today John, Mum and I went into London for a travel exhibition mainly because the Altitude Centre was going to be there, but there were also so many companies and guest speakers talking about their travels and amazing adventures. John and I decided to have a go on the treadmill with the Altitude Centre and my results were promising I am pleased to say. We took a brisk walk on a treadmill for 2 minutes and had a mask over our face to simulate being at 10,000ft. I could definately feel a difference, having to concentrate on taking deep breaths but found it ok. The results came in and I had the lowest heart rate out of all 63 people who took part that day and came in 9th on the leader board. John came in a very respectable 45th. I would also like to point out that I was above someone who had climbed Mount Everest just last year!! I am very proud of that one indeed. The day was great and I really enjoyed taking part in the Altitude Centre test and hearing so many stories from people who have climbed Kilimanjaro, Mont BlancandEverest. It fills me with so much awe seeing people and hearing their stories of such magnificent adventures and goals they have set their mind to and achieved. I am now more than ever excited, apprehensive, focused and determined that I will make it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Tues 18th January 2011, Being a Guest Speaker……………….
So tonight was the night I had been so very nervous about. Liam Deroe, a close family friend of ours, very kindly invited me along to be a guest speaker at his 41 Club meeting this month at The Galley Hall in Hoddesdon. I went along to share my story with everyone and was overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity shown to me. As I ate the lovely meal I was starting to get that butterfly feeling in my tummy and so didn’t eat as much as I would have liked to, but then I also didn’t want to be sick. I was not as nervous however as I thought I would have been and I really think this is down to the welcome and atmosphere of this lovely group. I felt at ease joining them and this really did help me to be able to stand up in front of them all and share my experiences. I hope that everyone found my story interesting and enjoyed the evening as much as I did.
They very kindly donated an amazing £330towards my fundraising efforts. As I did not agree to be a speaker to try and get donations, (sharing my story and the work that GOSH do, and to push myself to do things I never considered is more than enough for me) I was touched by everyonesgenerositysomuch that I burst into tears. This was slightly embarrassing but I fanned them away with my hands, as only girls can, and Clive very kindly lent me his hankie, thank you for that.
I never thought that I would have been able to be a guest speaker before, let alone actually really enjoying doing so. I am hoping to be able to go back after my trek to tell everyone how it went and what it felt like when I reached the summit. I would like to thank all the men and women who attended last night, I am feeling very proud of myself this morning and happy to have been welcomed to join you and share my story. Thank you so much xxx
Sat 15th & Sun 16th January 2011, Van Hage Collection……..
The start of a New Year and a great start to my year ahead of fundraising. This weekend I was at Van Hage in Ware and thoroughly enjoyed this collection. I would like to say a huge thank you to my Mum and brother John for coming along to help me, always very much appreciated. The staff and customers were very welcoming and supportive and I raised a fantastic £425.34. Thank you to everyone who generously donated. xxx
Sun 9th January 2011, Magic Reindeer Food………………….
I decided to make some little packets of “Magic Reindeer Food” in the run up to Christmas as GOSH is a children’s charity after all. I made these little packets from bird feed and glitter and I think they are a lovely idea for children to sprinkle outside on Christmas Eve. I was selling some myself and I would also like to thank Angela Shipp and the Furzefield Centre in Potters Bar for letting me place them on the reception for people to pay £1 per packet. This went down really well and I made £40from these. It was very fun to make and I too left some outside my house on Christmas Eve. I hope that Rudolph enjoyed eating all the snacks as I did making them. xxx
Tues 28th December 2010, Snowdon Training climb……
Needing to break in my walking boots and actually climb a hill let alone a mountain, in between Christmas and New Year I along with my sister Helen, her husband Tony and his mum Jenny went to Snowdonia for a few days. I was really looking forward to this and was worried we would not be able to do climb because of the snow we had and general weather conditions. Although it was raining and there was still lots of ice and snow present from the previous week we decided just to go for it and see how far we could get. We set off well and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. My boots had now definately been christened covered in mud, snow and slush. The visibility was not great but every now and then the sun would shine through and we could get a good look at the surrounding hills. Helen and Jenny decided to take a rest and then head back down around the half way point and Tony and I decided to keep going and get as far as we could. As the day drew on the wind picked up, visibility shortened and the snow and ice got thicker the higher we got. Although the conditions were not perfect I really enjoyed the walking, being outside and seeing how far we could get. In the end we got about three quarters of the way up and stopped just under a bridge for a rest and decided then to go back down. The wind had picked up and there was sheer ice around the corner and as a complete novice I tookTony’s advice that we should head down before it got dark. Although we did not make the top it gave me a great starting point and an idea of the different terrain I may come across. My boots did me well for my first big walk, coming home withno blisters was great and so I hope that is a good indication of things to come. I know I have a long way to go this year but I am pleased withmyfirstclimb and am now even more excited for my challenge ahead. Thank you Helen, Tony and Jenny for coming with me I am sure we will be doing it again very soon xxx
Sun 12th & Sat 18th December 2010, Springtime Collection..
I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who very kindly donated and gave me words of support at this collection. When I hear stories of children who have had treatment there, like myself it really does make me even more determined to raise as much money as I possibly can for this worthy cause. I made a fantastic £332.51 which I have added to my total, helping me to surpass my original target.
I would like to say a special thank you to all the lovely staff at Springtime Nursery in Crews Hill who welcomed me for these days and were very helpful from the start and throughout. Your Winter Wonderland was enjoyed by so many families who spoke so highly of it and enabled both myself and the families visiting to have very enjoyable day.
Also to all my friends who helped me out, Rachel, Marlene, my brother John and my Mum Carol, thank you for all your support and company. It was vital and needed especially when it got cold!!
Thank you to everyone. Another successful collection xxx
Sat 20th November 2010, Finally got my Trek Boots………
Well after many websites, forums and shops I finally got myself a pair of boots for my trek. I am in the process of breaking them in and making sure they are the right pair. I hope they are because once I step foot outside there is no going back and I am not wishing to purchase another pair at this price. I am finding it hard to decide as I don’t really know what they are meant to feel like and I am not sure how I know if they will give me blisters until they actually do. Only time will tell I guess, I just hope they are like slippers by the time I get to Kilimanjaro. Fingers crossed I have chosen the right pair for me!! Although I have only purchased the boots and still have a whole lot of gear shopping to go, I am so excited now and it has made it that little bit more real. xxx
Mon 18th October 2010, Woo Hoo!! Target Hit………………
I would just like to say a huge huge thank you to everyone who has donated and supported me so far. I have hit my target of £5,000 and am now hoping to totally surpass it and raise as much as I possibly can over the coming year. Here is to a lot of fun and a whole lot more fundraising……………… Thank you xxxxxxxxxx
Fri 8th October 2010, Successful Quiz Night……………
Last Friday evening was my Quiz Night. I am so glad that it all ran so smoothly and that everyone had a lovely evening. I would like to thank everyone for coming along, it was a great turn out and I really appreciate all the support from you all. It was a very close quiz but Quiz-teama Aguillera became the champions of the night. Congratulations to them and also to Jackie Nelson for winning the Signed Tottenham Hotspur Football. We made a fantastic amount of £811 which I have added to my total, getting me ever closer to my target.
I would like to thank St Ignatius College and Old Ignatian Football Club for all their help in arranging the venue for the night, especially Elaineand Marlene Munns, Declan and John O’Brien. It was a lovely venue and all your help is very much appreciated.
A huge thank you to Liam Deroe for being our amazing quiz master for the evening. You really made the evening run smoothly and created a fantastic atmosphere. I could not have done it without you.
To my good friends who came down a little early to help me set up, thank you it really helped me at a stressful time and Mum for all your marking on the night and everything else, thank you.
Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to donate raffle prizes for my event, they will all be appreciated and enjoyed by their winners I am sure. Thank you for your support, head over to supporters and check out the links if you would like to visit any of their websites and find out more.
It really was a hugely successful evening. I was so touched by everyone’sgenerosity with their time, donations and kind supportive words. I cannot say it enough thank you, thank you, thank you xxx
Sun 19th September 2010, Enfield Town Collection………
My collection in Enfield Town yesterday went really well thanks to all the kind and generous people. I raised a fantastic £244.72 which brings me ever closer to my target amount.
I would like to thank Palace Exchange Management for allowing me to hold my collection and the help they gave me before hand. Also I would like to thank Sharon at Clinton Cards Enfield Town for blowing up my balloons for free. I really think they make my display stand out and made some children very happy at the end of our day!!
We met some really lovely people who gave us very generous donations and stopped to talk and gave their stories and experiences of this very special hosptial. A man stopped with interest in my challenge as he told us all about his charity car rally to Mongolia. It sounded amazing except being stuck at a customs border for 50 hours!!
We also met a lovely couple who stopped to tell me all about their experience on Kilimanjaro last year and they gave me some amazing tips which I have already written in my challenge notebook to take with me. (My fave on: put next days clothes in your sleeping bag before bed so they are nice and warm when you get dressed the following day!!) I know I am going to be so thankful for that tip. Hearing their experience has made me even more excited about going even though I still need to wait another year.
It is days like these when I am so glad I am doing this. I am getting to meet so many lovely, kind and generous people that I would never have come across and it makes me want to keep going raising as much as I possibly can for GOSH. xxx
Fri 1st October 2010, Quiz Night Is Coming …………….
Ok so it is here, start revising!!
St Ignatuis College, Turkey Street, Enfield, EN1 4NP.
Friday 1st October, 7.30pm arrive – 8pm Start
Licensed Bar Bring your own food and snacks (optional), £5 each
8 people per team/table, pick wisely!!!
Spread the word and get as many friends and family as you can.
Get in touch with me for tickets and any other info you need, hope to see you there xxx
August 2010, A huge huge thank you………………………
I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated on my justgiving page so far. I am astounded at how I am getting on and am so excited about my coming year. Well the fundraising slightly more than the training but I cannot really do one without the other. I have had so much support from everyone I know and people I have come across since starting this chapter. Thank you to everyone I really do appreciate it and know that it will all be worth while when I hand over the money raised to Great Ormond Street.
Thank you, thank you, thank you xxx
Coming soon, GOSH! It’s a Quiz Night……………….
So, any pub quiz lovers out there? If so you will love this. I am hosting a quiz night in October which will be a great night to pop on that thinking cap and show off your knowledge. The date will be up here very soon so keep checking and get revising. xxx
Sat 18th September 2010, Enfield Town Collection…………….
I will be doing a collection in Enfield Town so if you are out and about shopping come over and see me, have a chat I would really appreciate it. My collections so far have been fantastic and I have really enjoyed them so I am looking forward to this. Hope to see some friendly faces. xxx
Fri 18th June 2010, Big Hit Bowling Night ………………..
I would like to thank everyone who came along to my Bowling Night on Wednesday evening. I had a really great night and I hope that everyone who came along did too. I would like to thank Finchley Hollywood Bowl for letting me host it here with a generous discount and CineworldEnfield who contributed 2 complimentary tickets for my raffle.
The night was a great success and I raised a fantastic £230.00. Thank you all for your support and coming along and I look forward to many more fun events in the future.
Katie xxx
Mon 7th June 2010, June Fundraising Events………….
On Wednesday 16th June I am holding a Charity Bowling Night. It is at Hollywood Bowl Finchley starting at 8pm. It costs £12 per person including 2 games of bowling and a basket meal too. It is open to everyone. If you would like to come along let me know by Mon 7th June. You can e-mail me at: littlekatie84@hotmail.com.
It will be a very fun night, come along and bowl the night away xxx
Mon 7th June 2010, Waltham Cross and Wembley Park Collections……..
Another big thank you for all the generous people I came across this weekend both in Waltham Cross on Saturday and at Wembley Park Station on Sunday. I had a great time hearing stories of people who have been to GOSH and being greeted with friendly faces as people made their way to the Summer Time Ball.
I would like to say a big thank you to my mum who again was with me both days, helping me every step of the way when I was about to cry having just made a hole in my banner to just standing still, holding a bucket and smiling. Thank you for all your help with my entire challenge organising so far.
I would also like to say a huge thank you to Clinton cards in Waltham Cross who were so kind to blow up my logo balloons for free. It really made a difference to my display and was very much appreciated. Thank you.
A thank you must go to Broxbourne council for allowing me to participate in the Fair and all their help in organising a spot for me. I raised a total of £115.19 on this day which will go straight to my total.
The staff of Wembley Park Station made us feel very welcome and were very friendly towards us throughout the day. Thank you to all the staff at this station and to London Underground for allowing me to do it. From this collection I raised £162.35 which is amazing and is really helping me to get on my way to achieve my target.
I had a lovely weekend, thank you xxx
Mon 31st May 2010, June Charity Collections………………
On Saturday 5th June I will be doing a collection at the Waltham Cross Fair from 10am-2pm. There are lots of different craft stalls, a street market and rides for children. I will be by the Eleanor Cross statue so if you are popping down come and see us.
On Sunday 6th JuneI will be doing a collection at Wembley Park station. If anyone is going along to the Capital FM Summer Time Ball then look out for us at the station when you get there.
Thank you xxx
Fri 30th April 2010, Photo Gallery…………….
Ok, so I am still trying to set up a photo gallery on here but as I am not great with technology I am struggling, so if you would like to check out some pics I have added some to my justgiving page for now and I hope to get a gallery with you all soon.
Check them out xxx
Wed 24th March 2010, Newspaper Article………
Here is the link to the Enfield Advertiser week of 24th March 2010. It is an article about what I am doing. Turn to page 12.
I hope you like it xxx
Sun 21st March 2010, Waltham Cross Collection……
I would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated in Waltham Cross on Saturday 20th March. I made an amazing £400.19 and was really touched by everyone’s support, good luck wishes, stories and very generous donations.
This has really re-inforced my need to do this hearing from local people how many children Great Ormond Street hospital has helped and saved over the years.
I would like to thank my mum Carol, my sister Helen, Jackie Nelson and Marlene Munns for all their help, I really appreciate it and could never have done this collection without them. Thank you.
I had such a lovely day, talking to so many people, hearing so many lovely stories and am thrilled with the amount that we raised.
To check out how this goes towards my total fundraising amount go to www.justgiving.com/goshwhataclimb and a huge thank you to everyone who has already been onto my page and for giving so generously.
I am so excited about up and coming fundraising events now, so keep checking in on here to find out what I will be doing, when and where.
Katie xxx
