Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Have you ever dreamed of hiking Mount Kilimanjaro?

Happy New Year everyone! Recently an adventure client of mine contacted me to celebrate her success: she had reached the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. Marian is a 60-something retired educator who always been up for personal challenge. She has hiked the Lions (our toughest hike of the year) and hiked Singing Pass in Whistler (our longest hike) with me and shown stamina and strength. This year, Marian joined the Alzheimer’s Society of BC and has reached a new high, the highest mountain in Africa.

Let us be inspired by Marian as she said: “Many of you know that my mother passed away four years ago from Alzheimer’s disease, and honoring her memory forms a big part of my motivation.” Her team of 10 ultimately raised almost $130,000, which went entirely to support the Society’s goals: education, research and help for families.

All 10 of them made it to the top! “Such a huge challenge!” she announced later, “By supporting one another, we did it! And with lots of help from our guides.” 

“We approached the signpost, screaming in disbelief, celebrating with tears, hugs, singing! Then, unlike the Alzheimer patients for whom we were climbing, we descend leaving behind our foggy brains as we lose elevation,” she observes. Most boot-skied almost 2,000 vertical feet (609 metres) down the scree and, last of all, hiked 15.5 miles (25 kilometres) out of the park. To read more about her great adventure visit
http://www.seniorlivingmag.com/articles/memory-motivation-and-moxie

I want to congratulate Marian and her team and many others that sacrifice their time and energy to help others. Visit www.alzheimerbc.org or www.ascentbc.ca to learn more about the 2011 team, its history and goals.

Let’s make 2012 something special. What are your goals and dreams for this year? Let’s connect at info@gaiaadventures.com




Catherine D'Aoust at GAIA Adventures, Personal Training/Kinesiologist, Workshops
www.gaiaadventures.com

Snowshoe Seymour - introduction to snowshoeing for Women Saturday January 7 – call 604 329.1257 or email me to register.

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