That was my mantra whenever anyone talked about Machu Picchu. Then my husband, who is an engineer with BP America, told me that BP had teamed with RedR and were advertising a trekking challenge, and did I want to go? I signed up immediately and set about the daunting task of fundraising. For me, that was the real challenge – I’ve always hated asking people for money - but it was amazing and humbling how many people were willing to donate once they heard about the fantastic work that RedR does around the world.
Trekking in Peru was just amazing. It was superbly organized, and even the nights camping in the freezing cold at 15,000 feet were exhilarating! The leaders and participants were all incredibly supportive and I made lifelong friends along the way. The sense of personal achievement was tremendous, and the fact that we raised something like $250,000 made it all worthwhile.
So when the Great Wall of China trek was announced for the following year I was first on the list! This was certainly a huge challenge for me…. all those steps! But again, the support of the RedR team and my fellow trekkers got me through the tough days. Another wonderful group of like-minded people, many of whom I have kept in touch with.
So of course, I am signed up to do the trek to Petra in October this year! The physical challenge is not to be taken lightly, but RedR provides a training schedule so I know I can achieve it. And I know that we will once again raise a valuable sum of money towards disaster relief.
RedR gives me opportunities to raise money for a worthwhile cause, visit wondrous parts of the world, and make new friendships. Above all, RedR enables me to do these things in a safe and well-organized manner.”