PISS POOR PLANNING LEADS TO… YES, YOU’VE GUESSED IT PISS POOR PERFORMANCE

THE MT KILIMANJARO DIARIES – PART 3

That is a mantra that I was told in the early days which has stuck with me, both in business and in life.

A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A WISH

As a business owner you need to have a plan so you and your team know where you are going and how you plan to get there. Climbing Kilimanjaro is no different. As part of a team, I need to play my part and be prepared for what’s ahead. With this in mind, I’ve been putting some training in and asking others for help and advice.

Last Wednesday was the official launch of our Kilimanjaro Challenge at the Altrua offices in London and it was lovely to meet up with the majority of our team. We’ve been catching up regularly via Zoom but there’s something special about getting together in person.

L to R: Isobel Apter, Melinda Paraie, Fiona Lambert, Mary Homer, Lucy Harris, Cheryl Potter, Me, Amanda Scott – With a dash of pink!

Here’s the full team:

I took the opportunity to invite a few ladies who had expressed an interest in the work of the Women Supporting Women campaign and the trek itself. As some were EVA finalists it was also a chance for some networking and a little business. we even squeezed in a meet up with Michelle Begy of Ignite Dating who invited us to the Soho Club before the main event.

L to R Olivia Marocco, Amanda FitzGerald, Me, Helen Dimmick, Pauline Wild

Thank you goes to Olivia Marocco, #EVAS2023 Creative Industry Finalist and owner of Brand You Magazine. She is featuring our Kilimanjaro challenge in next month’s edition. (Great to see our EVAS2022 Training and Coaching Winner, Dani Wallace on October’s cover!).

Its always great to have a strong team of allies and supporters who want to see you succeed. One of which is the team at BBC Radio Lancashire who very kindly had me on last week with Joe Wilson to talk about the trek. Its fabulous to have this support and exposure for the charity and being a fellow trekker we could have talked for hours! You can hear the full interview here (approx 24:35 to 45:00).

IT IS NOT THE MOUNTAIN WE CONQUER BUT OURSELVES

I had my first visit to the Altitude Centre at Burnley College which is within Fitness Evolution. Thank you to Barrie Thompson for introducing me to the facility. My first session took me to 2100 metres for 30 minutes where I was monitored as I cycled. I have a plan with them to build me up to 6000 metres over the next 4 weeks. They’ve warned me that that the first session was the easy one. Things get harder from now on!

On Saturday I joined a group of ladies to hike Snowdon for Sunrise. I wanted to see experience a night hike as I will complete one on our summit day. I think it’s good to practice what you don’t know and I learnt a lot. How my head torch worked, etiquette with torches whilst having a break (who knew there was such a thing!), how my body responded to walking when it should have been resting and the energy and food needed. This will help me to be better prepared mentally and I have less fear of the night climb now.

Whilst I was conquering Snowdon, Darren Jenkinson was completing his 100k step challenge for the Pendle Hospice. Darren and I have supported each other over the last few weeks, walking and talking and putting the world to rights. I know how hard that challenge was and he deserves massive credit for achieving this, well done!

THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES STARTS WITH A SINGLE STEP

As a team this Sunday, Lizzie, Lindsay, Jackie Speight and I will Walk with Lancashire Women to support them as they raise awareness of the gender pay gap which is 14.9%. A topic close to our hearts and a shared goal to make a difference not only for the women who work their butts off for less money doing the same work as their male counterparts but also for the next generation. The walk starts at the Solaris Centre and continues along the promenade and turns at Bispham and will be 14.9k in total. If you would like to join us then its not too late to sign up. Best of luck to Adele Helm and the team.

I will be testing out the barrier cream that Sylvia Poll very kindly gave me. With the amount of walking I have done recently in the extreme heat, my socks are chaffing my ankles. Another lesson learnt on how to deal with the newly discovered aches and pains, and wear and tear that I’d never thought about before I started this trekking malarkey. Don’t get me started about the She-Wee!

Over the eight days on Mt Kilimanjaro there will be none of the home comforts we take for granted. There will be times I will be alone and quiet with my thoughts and plenty of time to reflect. Both Amanda Green and Jane Sedgwick recommended a book by Cheryl Strayed “Wild A Journey from Lost to Found” based on the true story of a woman who is grieving for her mother and at a turning point in her life. I thought this was very apt and thank you both. Think of me in my little orange tent reading by torch light.

If you want to help or support me in anyway please get in touch. Advice and tips are gratefully received.

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