I'd love to say that I have wanted to climb Kilimanjaro since I was knee high to a grasshopper and I have been preparing for altitude sickness ever since...........but that would be a lie!
The truth of the matter is that it was a fate more noble that led me to the mountain.....being love struck!
When Andy asked me to join his team to climb Kili I thought that being a tough Zimbo/Saffa chick it would be a walk in the park-after all I've crossed the Limpopo and walked up ! The most horrifying part appeared to be the fashion disaster that is hiking boots and it was even suggested that I might be the first person to climb Kili in stilettos!
After watching the Comic Relief expedition documentary and hearing that people actually DIE on the mountain (conservatively about 30 a year)- I decided that I needed to get my body and mind honed into a finely tuned instrument. (And completely forget about matching clothes and accessories)
Needless to say-I'm not finely tuned-in fact I have quite a few more bumps and bruises than when I started and I have moments of sheer petrifying blind panic!................
BUT as the date draws near I'm more determined than ever to get to the summit of the tallest free standing mountain in the world. (6000m/20 000 ft)
As for the choice of Tourettes Action-(http://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/)
For all of you who know me you will be aware that Tourettes syndrome (TS) is a disorder that is close to my heart. I was inspired by Professor Mary Robertson-the guru of Tourettes- and a close family friend to work with her in the Tourettes clinic. I am now a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and continue to have a special interest in and be inspired by patients with TS.
TS is a common disorder affecting 1% of the population. It is diagnosed when a person has motor and vocal tics lasting longer than a year. It is more commonly known because of the swearing tic-which is often portrayed in the media-however this actually only affects about 10% of patients with TS. There is a spectrum of severity of TS ranging from very mild-some people do not even know they have it-to very severe. Some patients with TS may be disabled by their symptoms-some may not even be able to leave the house and others are severely stigmatised. I would like to raise money for Tourettes Action-a charity which supports people and their families whose lives have been adversely affected by TS.
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