Challenge Machu !

Postponement of trip

2011-07-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Due to a situation in my personal life I have had no choice but to postpone my trip until next year.
It will now happen on August 23rd 2012
I'm very disappointed but I need to do what's best for me

Climbing Snowdonia !

2011-05-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well I did it I have climbed Snowdonia at a pre-challenge weekend
Some of it relatively easy some very hard especially up to the summit
Lovely weather at the bottom but as we ascended it became extremely muggy as if it was going to rain and boy did it !
Completely chucked it down so much so visibility was nil at the top
I really struggled with the last bit, but got there in the end all 3,560 feet of it !
Overall a great weekend meeting like minded people with all different stories of why they were challenging themselves
Snowdonia took around 6-7 hours to go up and come down
The following day we went for just a 2 hour walk, very tame in comparison to the day before !!
We stayed at Capel Cruig in North Wales and what a beautiful place it was

George-o-saurus Ready for action

Just a few feet from the summit

On the way down

The next day

George gets a lift

Huge up-rooted tree

The gang

The leaders for the weekend

Lots and lots of sheep !

The Ugly House

Swallow Falls

Decorating for money !

2011-04-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

Working hard to earn money for the charity !!
Made another £100 YAY !
A very big thank you to Kim for the work and the donation !!

Charity spin class at my gym. June 13th ! :-)

2011-04-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Had another meeting today with the manager of my gym (LA Fitness, Cheltenham) and we have set a date for this event (June 13th!) So all systems go !
Now need to organise advertising with James my personal trainer who has offered to design the outlay of this.
Need to sort out a fancy dress outfit, (as at the same time of the spin class I
I will be on the treadmill trying to get some sponsorships !),may go to a fancy dress shop and see if they will lend me an outfit in return mention who donated it for the evening ?
Have to ring the local press and see if they will come down and get involved and possibly put it in print ?
It's all worth asking !!

Not long to go for my Snowdoinia practice in May !

2011-03-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

My personal trainer James Ellis working together at LA Fitness, Cheltenham
I want to be strong and fit enough for the trek and as I go to the gym on a regular basis it made sense to be trained with the right exercises for the challenge

Donating/Sponsoring

2011-03-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Please if you read this and would like to donate/sponsor then drop me a line to betsiemachu@yahoo.co.uk
Just think you could be saving a life !!

Raising more Money

2011-02-27T03:54:00.000-08:00

Had a meeting with the manager of LA Fitness in Cheltenham and we have come up with an idea of having a charity spin class where people pay £10 to take part in this, while I dress up in fancy dress walking on the treadmill, talking to people and hoping for more sponsors
If this comes off then it'll be fantastic !!
Cross your fingers for me

George-o-saurus

2011-02-24T15:27:00.001-08:00

Meet my mate who will be my travel companion and I will look to for encouragement
He is the mascot for the charity, it was George's favourite animal and colour. He was knitted by Kim's fair hands and won at the ball by Sheila in the raffle, which I commandeered when I saw him (thanks Sheila)! X
Watch out for him on following pictures !!

Getting Started !!

2011-02-22T15:37:00.001-08:00

After watching Chris Moyles climb Killamajaro then Fern Cotton trekking up Machu Picchu, I decided to take up this challenge for myself along with raising money for 'The George Coller Memorial Fund' asthma charity

Having asthma myself I am passionate about the charity

The charity was set up 10 years ago by Kim Douglas who lost her 3-year-old son to this illness. Since then she has tirelessly campaigned to raise awareness of how dangerous this condition can be. The charity continues to go from strength to strength, working along side many outside agencies, such as; Special Medical Needs In School, Primary Care Trust, Hospitals, Schools and parents, Specialist nurses and doctors, as well as many other health care professionals

Providing Asthma training for school nurses.
Providing vital life saving equipment for hospitals.
Fully financially supporting school nurses to take their Asthma Diploma.

And providing paediatric Asthma nurses to work within hospitals and primary care trusts.

The Charity is currently lobbying the Government to have life saving Emergency Asthma kits placed in all schools across the U.K. at a cost of £8 per school which the charity is happy to provide, making our schools a safe environment for children affected by Asthma. The treatment of Asthma is very hit and miss throughout the U.K and the charity is striving for a standard of Asthma care nationally, because Every Child Matters.

Please check out the website www.georgecoller.co.uk

I set everything in place in December 2010 organised with the charity,s help the paperwork and payment methods (thanks Kim and Keith), then booked my place with the 'Action Challenge' trip to climb Machu Pichu in September 2011, bought my kit (walking gear) in January and started training and asking for donations in February 2011 also booked a weekend away in May to Snowdonia for a practise run to see if I need to step up my training

Tried to organise, with a friends help (thanks Sid) to have a haircutting session (I am qualified !) at his place of work, but could not do this due to rules and regulations ! I,m going to see if I can do this in a pub ?

Also tried to get sponsorship from my gym that I have belonged to for 7 years but I'm finding the bigger the company the more likely they say they haven't got it in their budget ?.. Either that or your ignored.

I have found myself a personal trainer who is being fully supportive and he is going to whip me into shape to help make this happen ! Thanks James Ellis