Twenty eight days, twenty eight terrifying challenges, twenty eight dogs trained!

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I wasn't sure I'd make it to my twenties.

Which is why, throughout September, I'm travelling to 28 different places consecutively, doing 28 terrifying things in order to fundraise £1000 for Mind. I leave on the 8th September, and finish on the 5th October.

(this is going to be a long one, so make sure you read it all).

When I was younger, my social anxiety was so high I could barely function. Buying a chocolate bar for a shop would send me into a near panic attack. Because of it, I left formal education multiple times, and had very few friends. I genuinely believed my life was over by eighteen, and that things wouldn't get better.

Further, the dog training industry can feel incredibly isolated and lonely. So many of us struggle with mental health concerns. Having recently attended the ABK Conference, it can feel like being socially connected is a bit like 'lightning in a bottle'.

I fundamentally believe that together we are stronger, so I want to use this journey as a way to highlight incredible professionals across the UK doing great things.

Personally, I've come a long way since I was a teenager, but those early years of anxiety meant that I missed out on doing so many things. And, in recent years, I've become complacent with it.

I also know that so many people - whether you are a dog professional or a caregiver - struggle with their mental health. Having a dog can be challenging, and can actually contribute to our stress levels.

So this summer, that changes. I'll be doing 28 things that are scary - some physical, some psychological, but all challenging.

The aim is simple - raise £1000 (hopefully more!) for Mind, and conquer the anxieties I still have.

🔶 Challenge Rules 🔶

🔹 I must travel to a different location every day, almost exclusively being a different county. There is one possible exception to this rule, which I will reveal at the bottom of this post.

🔹 In each location, on each day, I must do something that either terrifies me, or has a more traditional fear connotation. It can be something that scared me as a child (that means I missed out on experiencing), or something that scares me now. If you can think of the scariest thing imaginable, I am probably doing it!

🔹 In each location, I must make contact with a pet professional for an interview or a conversation, even if it is brief. To show there are so many wonderful people out there in the world, and to provide some support for those people.

🔹 In each location, I must do something dog training related. This could be actively training a dog, working with a student, or running a workshop/class. Giving out advice to strangers also counts!

🔹 I must reach each location by either public transport, or by the help of another person. I used to have a massive fear of public transport as a teenager, so this step means a lot to me.

🔹 I must document via video and photos my entire adventure, and post an update at least once a day to the various social channels. So you'll be able to follow my journey in more or less real time! There will be a two day delay between where I actually am, and where the

🟣 Where am travelling to? 🟣

I'm not going to reveal the exact order of where I'm going publicly (but if you want to know the full details, PM me), but here is a list of locations I'm going to. The route is still being constructed, but these are pretty much guaranteed location wise

Durham

Manchester

Staffordshire

Reading

Hampshire

Surrey

Sussex

Essex

Devon

Newcastle

Cornwall

Dorset

Bangor, Wales

Worcester

Somerset

Shrewsbury

Kent

York

Windermere

Alnwick

Liverpool

Chester

Lincoln

Stratford

Oxford

Brighton

Bristol

London

🟡 Donation Rules 🟡:

All donations are appreciated, but there is an incentive for

If either an individual or a company donates £100, I have to do a forfeit. If they donate £250, they can pick the forfeit I do. If not, it is randomised. These are decided live via something special I'll reveal at a later date. I must complete these forfeits the day after the donation is made, before I can move on. Forfeits include, but are not limited to:

🟣 I must dye my hair a different colour.

🟣 I must get five donations for Mind from people on the street before I can move on.

🟣 I must go without coffee for the entire day.

🟣 I must find and wear a silly costume for the duration of the days events.

And, if an individual or company donates £1000?

I'll cut my hair.

I will be shouting out each individual and business on my social media via a 'Thank You' video each day, reading out the messages of support you leave.

🟢 How you can help 🟢

This is going to be a massive undertaking. I am organising this primarily by myself, and funding it by myself too. I'm doing this to prove to myself that I can conquer my lasting fears, and demonstrate to as many as people as possible that we do have a wonderful dog training community, and that you can overcome your fears as needed.

Loads of people I've spoken to privately have agreed to meet with me while I'm travelling, which is wonderful. If you would like to help, you can:

🔹 Agree to be interviewed as a pet professional.

🔹 Source a dog in your local area for me to work with (bonus points if they have anxiety!)

🔹 Help me access some scary activities/make suggestions of things I could do.

🔹 Help me source accommodation/transport.

🔹 Give me the contact details of any organisations/spaces near you who'd be happy to sponsor/offer a helping hand.

Message me to find out the date I'm in your local area to see if we can link up! And if I haven't messaged you yet, it is on the list, I promise!