My challenge, my adventure

In July 2018 I set myself a challenge with my Kiwi friend Jo to walk 100 km non-

stop, The Ridgeway, the famous ancient track way, the oldest road in Britain. I

was overweight at the time, unfit, struggling with plantar fasciitis (inflammation

on the sole of the feet) and recovering from an emotionally tough time where I

felt let down by someone close to me.

We signed up for this challenge in January and then training began very slowly as

5 km walking at that time was huge for me. I was fully aware that I would come

across hard times, but I knew deep down that regardless of how hard it would

be, I would not give up (although there were times that I very nearly did!!). From

January to April I was walking between 5 and 15 km during the weekend, which

was nowhere near enough, but I could not do any more than that. I remember

when I walked 19 km in Richmond Park, I had to call my husband to come and

pick me up, my feet and every single part of my body was hurting so much, that I

sat and stayed until my husband Johnny arrived and rescued me. I went back

home thinking, how the hell I would do 100 km if 19 km had nearly killed me.

From May to the end of June my friend and I were walking every Saturday and

some Sundays like crazy. We were doing 30 km then 40 km up to 60 km on the

weekends. The training took all of our free time, so no time with family, friends,

but lots of sweating, sore body parts and exhaustion. But having said that I was

delighted to walk through the actual Ridgeway path every Saturday for the

whole of June. It was like taking me back home, the smell of nature in the

morning (from 6am), the beauty of the route was incredible and revitalising,

that’s when things started to turn around for me. Slowly I started the process of

healing my body (even though I was putting so much pressure on it), my mind

and the sadness from the betrayal started to dissipate and I was happy, happy to

walk, happy to feel like being taken back to my childhood, embraced by those

who loved me and nurtured me. Every Saturday was kind like of meeting myself,

going back to my essence, to what really mattered, plus the great talks to my

friend and the time I spent with her was enriching and therapeutic.

The big message I took from this adventure/challenge was that life is great as

long as we connect to what matters the most to us. That we appreciate those who

believe in our dreams and share that dream with us by telling us that we are

capable of doing whatever we have chosen to do. I had people looking at me and

saying that I was crazy to do such a thing and had several funny looks. I was

shocked when someone close to me that I thought would be proud and

supportive of me and what I was doing, told me that I couldn’t do it and advised

me to only try half or even less as there was no way I would be able to do 100 km.

I was so disappointed to have heard that comment and went home thinking,

‘What a rubbish thing to say to someone’, however I also realised how much

healing I had already gained from my training,… and that realisation was

empowering!

I would like to say, when you have a dream or just a challenge that you have set

up for whatever reason, surround yourself with people who believe in you and

most importantly, YOU MUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

The walk was difficult, the last 4 km I was in tears, every single bit of me was

hurting, but myself and my friend Jo encouraged each other through the walk

and I knew that my husband, my lovely daughter and son along with a few close

people had faith in me and THAT IS WHAT got me through. I managed to finish

the whole 100 km non stop without a single blister and that was because I

BELIEVED DEEP DOWN THAT I COULD DO IT.

Follow your dreams, challenge yourself but believe in yourself… ALWAYS!