Sunday, July 29, 2012

Leaving everything I know behind…


With less than 2 weeks to go there are many things that I have to think about in preparation for my trip and there are many things I’m trying very hard not to think about. I’m sitting with emotions of apprehension, doubt and wondering “why am I doing this again?” together with emotions of excitement, enthusiasm and anticipation of “I just can’t wait to get there already.”

With every day that goes by, comes an increased appreciation of the simple pleasures of life, enhanced by the knowledge that I will not have these pleasures on Kili. On a regular day, the simple pleasure of ending a training session with a hot shower – allowing myself to rejuvenate in the flow of water – highlights the fact that after a long day of hiking, all I’ll get is a bowl of luke warm water to wash with and share with a friend. Ending a regular day by getting into a comfortable bed, electric blanket switched on and snuggling under the duvet, highlights the lack of these comforts at Kili. This creates a bit of a wobble inside me that begs the question – can I really go through with this?

But then… speaking to people who have summitted Kili and seeing their pictures from the top of Africa makes me want the experience all the more. I believe that when life’s comforts are stripped away, when the distractions (and necessities) of every day life are removed – you get to meet the person that you truly are – no diversions, no masks. When the going gets tough, our authentic selves shine through and when we let our authentic selves shine, we get to experience the true beauty of our soul.

This is why I’m going… and I’m looking forward to spending quality time in the company of myself – all distractions, aka comforts, stripped away!

In this high place
it is as simple as this,
leave everything you know behind.

Step toward the cold surface,
say the old prayer of rough love
and open both arms.

Those who come with empty hands
will stare into the lake astonished,
there, in the cold light
reflecting pure snow,

the true shape of your own face.  

~ David Whyte ~







Saturday, July 7, 2012

The Cause


I’ve written quite a bit about my personal journey so far – the training, my thinking and my fears. I think it is now time to take a look at the raison d’etre for this journey.

As my holiday in Mauritius comes to an end, it is a good time for me to express my gratitude for an amazing holiday that came at exactly the right time. When I arrived, I was feeling exhausted and in desperate need for some me time. As I leave, I feel blessed and rejuvenated. The resort we stayed in catered to our every whim and we all felt absolutely spoilt every minute of the day. We barely had to glance to the side and a waiter would be there to ask if there was anything we needed.

Resort life feels like a self-contained world where you can almost begin to believe that this is what the island is about. We took one day to tour some of the towns in the Island and were struck by the stark reality of island life. While we were rejuvenating ourselves and relaxing at the resort, there are people living in absolute poverty, desperate for a way to make a living and relying on us tourists to provide them with a way to earn some income. The contrast was thought provoking.

We see this dichotomy everywhere in the world. I believe that it is up to every one of us to make sure that we are grateful for what we have and that we contribute to others that are less fortunate than ourselves wherever we can. That is why I’m proud of the fact that while the Kilimanjaro trip is a personal journey of meaning and growth, it is also about a cause that is larger than myself. This trip is about inspiring women in challenging circumstances to know that anything is possible, one step at a time. The charity that we’re supporting is the Women’s Empowerment Division of ORTJET and the aim is to establish an Academy that will provide training of marketable skills, teach financial management and ensure sustainable independence.

This is a dream to raise hope and restore dignity.

As we go on in our daily lives, hundreds of women across our communities battle a never-ending onslaught of hunger, anxiety and self-doubt. Their decisions involve making choices between providing a roof over their children’s heads, or food in their lunch boxes. They rely on hand-outs, food parcels and the generosity of strangers. The purpose of the Kilimanjaro campaign is not only to raise awareness of the needs of these divorced, widowed, abused and vulnerable women but more importantly to raise enough money to establish the Academy.

The charity that is creating this Academy is ORT SA. Their motto is "Educating for Life". Giving skills, tools and education to South Africans from all backgrounds, cultures and education levels, helping all ages to ensure gainful employment and moulding people into contributing members of society.

In the words of Tali Frankel, a fellow climber and friend, "If you believe as we do, that the best way to give to someone is to equip them not with a food parcel but with the ability to earn, not with a welfare cheque but with marketable skills, not with gratefulness but with dignity – then join us on our incredible journey."

If you would like to join me in championing this worthy cause, please add your donation on my back-a-buddy page on http://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/the-kili-climbing-coach-daphna-horowitz or by contributing via EFT.

Thank you all for your support!

Banking details:
Johannesburg Women’s ORT
Standard Bank Norwood Mall
Branch code: 004105
Account number: 001824538
SWIFT code IBAN : SBZAZAJJ
Ref: DSH/Your Name

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Slow and Steady


Ok… so I was all gung-ho, motivated and determined to create the extra hours in the day and the extra energy it took to make time for the ambitious training programme for Kili and I did very well until… I got sick!

It started with a simple cold and a few sniffles and I was still going strong. This will take a couple of days to clear and I’ll be back in training – can’t let anything hold me back at this stage – I told myself. And that’s exactly what I did… took 3 days off and was back in training quick as a flash until… I got sick!

As a quick aside here, I need to say that there was no easing in to the training for me. From the get go I was pushing myself to the limits – running that little bit faster, staying in core-building positions that little bit longer. In addition, there was no change to my already frenetic lifestyle – working till late at night (or the early hours of the morning) to make sure that everything was still getting the attention it needed. Everything except me of course! I was very proud of myself that I had actually created a couple of extra hours on training days and nothing needed to change. Aren’t we always saying we need a few extra hours in our days?

Well… then I got sick! This time it wasn’t a little sniffle that would take a couple of days to clear up. This time I was hit with a flu that every day I woke up feeling worse than the day before. For an A-type like me this is torture and all I do is continue to push through. After 5 days of this (and thankfully the arrival of the weekend and so no need to change any work commitments!) I finally succumbed – with no voice and a torturous sinus headache – I stayed in bed for 2 days. At this stage I thought, ok I’m getting to the worst of it and when Monday comes, I’ll be starting to get better. But alas, the sinus headaches continued and I finally admitted that I needed to go to the doctor. Armed with a host of medications (including antibiotics and cortisone sprays) that put paid to the training for yet another week.

At this point I started to reflect that maybe I needed to look at the bigger picture. Why did I get sick and for so long, battling to get back to feeling normal again? What is my body wanting to tell me?

After the usual denials and classic arguments that you get sick from bugs called viruses and bacteria and not for any other reason, the truth of the matter is that if your immune system is weakened enough, you’ll catch any bugs that are going around much more easily. And then comes the question that I didn’t really want to look at…

Why did I get to this point?

My critical learnings as I reflect on this time are (…and I am writing this blog as I sit on a lounger on the beach, taking a long awaited for holiday in Mauritius)

1.         Rest and relaxation
There are a critical number of hours of sleep and recovery that every person needs and I pushed myself beyond this point. Thinking that I had discovered 2 hours extra time per day without realising that it would need to eventually be made up somewhere was a critical mistake.

2.         Stretch but not stress
Even within the training programme, I stretched myself to the point of stress. It is important to stretch yourself to do more and achieve more but just like an elastic band, if you stretch it too much, it will break.  The balance between stretch and stress is a delicate one that needs to be maintained.

3.         Listen to your body
We all know how it feels good to have a great workout and feel that sense of achievement – especially for someone like me who is really not a sporty type. When embarking on a training programme, make sure to listen when your body says its enough. It takes time to build up the training and your body will tell you when its ok to stretch and when its time to take a break.
4.         There are no shortcuts
When you learn something new and want to build on it, it takes time and practice. There are no shortcuts. Just like you can’t take a pill to create more time in the day, you can’t build your strength overnight. Take the time to do it slowly, properly and in a way that will be lasting.

To use the words of a good friend of mine, “slow and steady wins the race”. As hard as it is for me to get my head around this concept – I delight in the fast pace, lots of projects to be involved in and keeping the string of achievements up – this is going to be my motto for Kilimanjaro.

There is no race here – there is a journey…