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Page 2 of 2 Of course, different locations and activities involve different preparation. You certainly wouldn't want to commit yourself to cycling day after day without practice to prevent saddle-soreness! And no one should ever try trekking in brand-new boots. Importantly, too, you need to enjoy the kind of activity involved: challenges involve much more than just sightseeing, however wonderful and novel the surroundings turn out to be. For me the dramatic scenery, sleeping under canvas, the delicious food cooked by the porters, the challenging walking and the time spent with a group of people who had been motivated by a similar commitment - including some who had really had to push themselves to the limit - all combined to make it a really enriching experience. What a wasted opportunity it would have been to have trekked the Inca Trail simply as a holiday. My enjoyment was greatly boosted, too, by knowing that I had managed to raise over £5,000 for a very good cause. Encouraged by family supportForty-six year-old Sue Bezant of Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, spent five days, seven to nine hours a day, walking through Vietnam to raise money for SCOPE. Woman's World asked her some pertinent questions: How much preparation and fundraising did you have to do? We had to raise £2,600 each, which was actually fairly easy. We held car boot sales, coffee mornings and press-ganged all our friends and family into sponsoring us. It was surprising how quickly the money came in. I trained for about nine months, walking every weekend and doing gym work as well. It was enjoyable, not a chore. What did you get out of the experience? The local people and our guides gave us an opportunity to experience life first hand in tribal villages, where we slept in their houses and ate together. We visited schools, took supplies for the children and experienced things the normal tourist could never expect to see. Apart from members of the group we didn't see another Westerner for five days. What did your family think of your decision - and your achievement? They were surprised at first but were then really supportive, helping raise sponsorship and coming training with me. They were and still are very proud of me. I got a real sense of personal achievement and thoroughly enjoyed the experience even though I was a little nervous before I went. The other trekkers (from 20s to 70) were all great people, from all walks of life but like-minded and good fun to be with. Worth all the effortSue Ross from Everton WI in Nottinghamshire celebrated her 60th birthday by trekking the Inca Trail with her husband and 28 other fundraisers for Marie Curie Cancer Care. WI members helped them organise a fundraising Gig in the Garden summer party. "The exhausting trip was like childbirth," says Sue. "The further one gets away from it, the more wonderful the experience appears and the end result was worth all the effort. We are proud to have completed the challenge and to have helped terminally ill cancer patients in doing so." [PIC JPEG of Sue Ross and husband on Inca Trail] In aid of Denman College Thirty-four cyclists, 29 of them WI members, spent five days biking around Cuba and together raised over £50,000 for Denman College. "For me, seeing the exhilaration of each biker as they crossed the finishing line, knowing the venture was successful, and that we were all supporting the same thing - the future of Denman - was quite overwhelming," says organiser Liz Eaton. Jean Burgess from Lincs North was also on the Cycle Cuba trip: "My life will never be the same again," she says. "There were tears along the way, but through the laughter and friendship I 'found myself' and I'm very proud of who I am." Pull QuotesLast year over £50,000 was raised for the WI's Denman College when 34 cyclists signed up to cycle across Cuba Challenges involve much more than just sightseeing, however wonderful and novel the surroundings turn out to be |
