The Finny's climbed Mount Kilimanjaro!
Andrew Finlayson is raising money for BecomingX Foundation
Participants: Andrew & Tracey Finlayson plus other Accenture folks
Story
We, Tracey and Andrew Finlayson, are going to climb the 5,895m to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro for Becoming X.
About us: Tracey and I have enjoyed a variety filled life journey and we’ll be doing this climb in our 25th year together. We met in the Castle Casino Blackpool and could never have imagined then where we’ve have got to today. We’ve had two beautiful daughters, Jade and Georgia, and seen many diverse phases in our careers and travelled to over 45 countries. We’ve done this despite feeling often that there were glass ceilings or blocks to progress and yet, when we faced them, we have been supported by our fantastic family and amazing friends and stretched through. We’ve been encouraged to take chances, take decisions beyond our comfort levels and challenge self-doubt/ society norms inherited by our backgrounds that may have blocked us unnecessarily.
Why Mount Kilimanjaro? Tracey and I have been discussing options for achieving something beyond our limits for a while. We help out in the pool with Georgia’s Polar Bears Multi disability club, we support Jade and the Skool of Street team encourage kids to gain confidence through urban skills and we contribute to Girls in STEM and Inclusion & Diversity initiatives with Accenture Interactive. We see that all are led by great people who have realised that it’s possible to do more, achieve ambitions and succeed. We found out about this Mount Kilimanjaro climb from one of my colleagues in Accenture Interactive, Natasha Khatib, and it was a match for what we wanted to do. It’s something we don’t normally do (and a genuine physical and mental stretch for us) plus the Becoming X charity is a brilliant cause matching what we want to support.
Who are Becoming X: Their purpose is to create a world where everyone can realise their potential. Becoming X shares the experience of some of the world’s most inspiring people – showcasing possibility and demonstrating how anyone can achieve their ambitions. They demystify what it takes to succeed and equip people, from all backgrounds, with the confidence and skills to realise their full potential.
About us: Tracey and I have enjoyed a variety filled life journey and we’ll be doing this climb in our 25th year together. We met in the Castle Casino Blackpool and could never have imagined then where we’ve have got to today. We’ve had two beautiful daughters, Jade and Georgia, and seen many diverse phases in our careers and travelled to over 45 countries. We’ve done this despite feeling often that there were glass ceilings or blocks to progress and yet, when we faced them, we have been supported by our fantastic family and amazing friends and stretched through. We’ve been encouraged to take chances, take decisions beyond our comfort levels and challenge self-doubt/ society norms inherited by our backgrounds that may have blocked us unnecessarily.
Why Mount Kilimanjaro? Tracey and I have been discussing options for achieving something beyond our limits for a while. We help out in the pool with Georgia’s Polar Bears Multi disability club, we support Jade and the Skool of Street team encourage kids to gain confidence through urban skills and we contribute to Girls in STEM and Inclusion & Diversity initiatives with Accenture Interactive. We see that all are led by great people who have realised that it’s possible to do more, achieve ambitions and succeed. We found out about this Mount Kilimanjaro climb from one of my colleagues in Accenture Interactive, Natasha Khatib, and it was a match for what we wanted to do. It’s something we don’t normally do (and a genuine physical and mental stretch for us) plus the Becoming X charity is a brilliant cause matching what we want to support.
Who are Becoming X: Their purpose is to create a world where everyone can realise their potential. Becoming X shares the experience of some of the world’s most inspiring people – showcasing possibility and demonstrating how anyone can achieve their ambitions. They demystify what it takes to succeed and equip people, from all backgrounds, with the confidence and skills to realise their full potential.
It’s not where you start in life – it’s who you become.
Our girls are our underlying motivation to do this:
- Our eldest Jade, 16, has transitioned from someone we want to inspire to an inspiration to us. She is now reverse mentoring us in many ways. The balance we’ve had to keep as Parents, due to Georgia’s disabilities, has been difficult. Jade had to mature early to cope – and cope she did. She has shown intense confidence and achieved much including winning the UDO World Street Dance championships (plus many other Dance awards). Jade volunteers and teaches Dance with the Skool of Street Charity (a finalist in the National Diversity Awards). We want to support Becoming X to achieve their purpose to further inspire Jade and others like Jade.
- Our youngest Georgia, 12, recently diagnosed with DDX3X syndrome, has changed the way we think and prioritise. All parents with children with severe disabilities go through this most likely. We’ve witnessed, through her condition, the very best in society including work from mental and physical health charities plus scientific research results that provided answers that we were so desperately seeking. We want to support Becoming X to achieve their purpose to encourage the next generation of scientists take the steps to realise their full potential. Possibly they cannot help Georgia directly but they could help parents of the future have easier journeys. Knowing the unknowns is so impactful to the mental health of many.
Please support us to achieve our target. Please support Becoming X.
The money raised through this trip will help Becoming X build a community and online platform to share the experiences and lessons of some of the world’s most inspirational people as well as to provide the basic educational equipment (books and pencils) for 36,000 students in Africa.
100% of donations go to Becoming X.
Thank you so much.
Andrew & Tracey
P.S. We’ve never climbed a large hill or mountain, we don’t camp in the outdoors never mind on bases higher than 4000m+, we’re not experienced trekkers and we’re sure this won’t be easy.