UPDATE  UPDATE  UPDATE
I am taking on the challange of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro 1 year earlier than originally planned and now aim to complete it in FEB 2010.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Please read my story and if you can make a donation or wish to sponsor me thro just giving please do. That way the charity gets the tax from the UK government. (and you all know they don't give much away so it all helps)
 

I have been  honest and open with my story, as I want everyone to know how  the charity "Climb Your Mountain" has helped get my life back on track, and raise awareness to how exercise can help with depression. 

So this is my story.      

As some of you know the last few years have been hell for me, and I sank into depression  after sufferring panic attacks and stress due to a very stressfull job and work /life balance. I got it wrong big time, and thought my work was more important. In the end it crushed me to the ground. Sending me into a world of darkness that there seemed no end to. Those days were very scary and only a few people know how low I got. It was like a big black hole with no lights and nothing to pull me out.  I was in total despair and very close to losing it completely.

The day that changed my life for good...

On a weekly visit to my counselling session at Farthing House, I picked up a leaflet about a local charity group called "Climb Your Mountain".  It read - Climb Your Mountain helps support people in times of need by engaging them in an appropriate physical challenge. The combination of exercise, a focus and sense of achievement will help boost their confidence and help them climb their own personal mountain.

Visit the web page and see what they do and how they can help.     http://www.climbyourmountain.org/ 

So I contacted CYM and Charlie came to see me. We discussed why I needed help and agreed that I would join the group to help me achieve a personal physical challenge and raise money for CYM. A  walk round a  local lake  felt like a challange  but I set it at a 5km run (at this point I thought I was really pushing it) Although after reading about the charity trip CYM did to Kilimanjaro in Feb 2009 and watching the video's I decided my ultimate goal was to to climb Kilimanjaro, To be honest I really didn't think that was possible. I had no confidence in myself and everything was an effort. I was about to lose my job for "not performing" as they put it. Which meant I could lose my house, and everything I had worked for for 15 years since my divorce. It felt like someone had turned out the lights on my life. My days just rolled into nights and time was passing me by. How could I run 5km, I had done hardly any exercise for 25 years, I smoked 20 ciggies a day and was also nearly 50 years old.

Anyway the following week I joined Charlie and Jane at the running club. ..... Well I ran the distance between two lamposts before stopping out of breath to walk.  That was in April 2009. Over the weeks and months since then Charlie and Jane have encouraged and motivated me to run a bit further each time,  within 6 months i could  run the Peace Pagoda route without any walking spells. A distance of 3.73 km or 2.32 miles. I now run weekly with the CYM group and try to fit in extra runs with my bestest running partner Caz.. :o) round Furzton Lake.

In June I climbed Snowdon with a group from CYM. It was fantastic.... reaching the top., standing there in the rain and mist, sweat dripping down the inside of my clothes I felt like I was on the top of the world. I wondered then what it would be like to get to the top of Kilimanjaro and knew  I had to go for it while also raising awareness about depression.

Although other people tell me I have achieved good things in my life, I never believed them... thats depression for you eh... But climbing Snowdon was all down to ME with a little help and encouragement from the Climb Your Mountain guys. It felt good and spurred me on.

So I gradually built up  my fitness level, running weekly and joining as many runs and walks as possible.  I completed my initial challange in September 09 when I  took part in  the 5 km Big Fun Run in Milton Keynes, with the CYM guys and my best buddie Cazzie. What a fantastic feeling running over that line with her. It didn't matter about the time we took we did it and it felt so good.

On Saturday 4th October 09, I climbed Ben Nevis,(all 4406 ft) With Simon and 3 others from the Climb Your Mountain group. It was extremely bad weather with winds up to 80 mph, sleet, rain, snow and a little bit of sunshine and a few rainbows just to lift our spirits. Tunzo the guide used by CYM  for the Kili trips joined us, so I had lots of opportunity to ask about climbing Kili.. I am now sure I am capable of completing that challange

None of this would be possible with out the help and encouragement of Charlie, Jane and Simon and my CYM friends, because I needed someone to help, support, motivate and advise me.  I could NEVER do it on my own. They give me all this help and advice for FREE, working tirelessly with dozens of people, to help make them feel good again.  Thro courses trying to raise awareness about depression, stress, anxiety and proving that exercise is as good for the mind as it is for the body. Depression is something lots of people do not understand or even want to talk about it. Yet lots of people suffer, usually in silence.The signs are always there, it's reading and understanding them that is so hard. Then helping those who need help.

I also now have a whole new circle of friends, who I can run, walk or climb and meet with and I am leaving the depression behind. I even got my new job thro another CYM  friend and my life is well and truly back on track.

Although I occasionally still have down days, the physical exercise has helped in so many ways and allowed me to look forward in my life and to 2010 when I know for sure I will have the confidence and motivation to climb the Big One... Mt Kilimanjaro at a height of 19344 feet.  WOW ! What an amazing achievement it's going to beand with your help I can do it.

If my story touches a part of you because you have had, or know someone with depression, stress or anxiety, who has lived those dark days or who has been ill  or  has no confidence... Please make a donation or sponsor me and help CYM help other people like me come out of the "big black hole"

Thankyou in advance

Wendy :o)

UPDATES
October 2009 :-  I made the decision to climb Kilimanjaro in Feb 2010 instead of Feb 2011.

December 2009:-  Courtesy of Paul Hassell and SewSmart Embroidery i have new lovely hot pink sweatshirts and polo shirts all with logo's and advertising my Kilimanjaro web page... Thankyou Paul.

4th December 2009 :-   I gave up smoking.

December  2009 :-  My mum age 70 completed her own challange to learn to swim and has aised over £500 so far by doing a sponsored swim at ther local pool in Wellington Somerset.  Well done mum I am proud of you. She even made the newspaper in Wellington and in Milton Keynes

1st January 2010 :- My Kili Just Giving fund is up to 50%. 

Total raised online: £1,715.00   Offline donations: £35.00   Gift Aid plus supplement: £373.72

thanks to some very generous donations from some very special friends

and family and some total strangers. Thankyou all so much.

4th Febuary 2010 one day before departure to Kilimanjaro.

My Kili fund stands at

£3,006.50 + £666.06 in gift aid totalling £3672.56. I made the agreed amount, but intend to try and raise more when I get back from Kili..... so dont stop reading the updates.

My mum has raised nearly £850 for me with her sponsored swim and coffee and cake event.   Mum, love you so much for doing that for me... and thankyou to all all your friends. 

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