With our final Kilimanjaro Information Evening fast approaching we spoke to Nikki Barnett who has already signed up to take part in this year’s Kilimanjaro Trek to raise money for The Myton Hospices.
Why did you decide to take part in the Kilimanjaro Trek?
First I did Glow in the Moonlight which was such a fun event organised by Myton, then I received an email from Myton about Kilimanjaro and I thought “… that sounds like an adventure and something different…” – not even knowing where Kilimanjaro was!
I knew that I wanted to raise money for Myton whilst raising awareness of the facilities on offer, and taking on a massive personal challenge outside the ‘norm’.
What are you looking forward to the most about the trek?
Reaching the summit with my daughter who is also taking part.
How do you plan to fundraise?
I am going to fundraise in several ways but the main one is by offering a week’s free holiday accommodation in Spain at our family villa for up to six people via a raffle. I am going to use social media, radio and local media to ask for sponsorship, as well as approaching local businesses and family and friends directly.
Why have you chosen to raise money for Myton?
Two years ago I lost my younger sister to breast cancer, her last few days were spent at the Warwick Myton Hospice – they were amazing with Jill, they offered her support, gave her respect and dignity and I will always be grateful. Also the support and understanding they gave to our family and friends was truly outstanding and we will forever be grateful to Myton for helping to make those lasting memories and making heartfelt times more manageable.
What has your training involved so far and what else do you plan to do?
My aim is to enjoy my training! I am including swimming, walking, running and weights, doing at least one of them each day and increasing the amount each week. I am being practical and not over doing it so as not to cause injury. I am also doing the Manchester 10k plus mountain trekking in the UK when possible.
I recently got together with some of the other Team Myton members and Beccy their Challenge Events Coordinator; we did a seven-mile route around Ashorne. It was a great way for us to meet and discuss where we are all at with our training, fundraising and experience of these types of events. We are going to meet in Burton Dassett next time so that we can take on some hills and hopefully meet more of the team. We have also discussed organising a Snowdon trip before we head to Kilimanjaro.
Have you done any other overseas challenge events before?
Never, as I said earlier, I did not even know where Kilimanjaro was!
Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, if you think that you might be interested in taking part in this challenge of a lifetime whilst raising vital funds for The Myton Hospices, come along to Warwick Myton Hospice at 7pm on Wednesday 8th March to find out more. Really Wild Challenges, who have been running this event for over 8 years, will be joining us to answer any questions you may have and tell you all about their experiences of climbing the highest mountain in Africa. This is your last chance to hear about this amazing challenge as registration will be closing on 31st March. Do not miss out on the chance to tick this natural wonder off your bucket list!
Register your interest here