Meet the Team...

Over the coming weeks we will be posting two minute interviews with the people behind the scenes that make all our challenges happen. So here is round one of an insight into the wonderful team challenge. 

First up is Chrissy...

 I have worked for Action for Charity since January this year as the operations assistant, so I do a lot of booking and organisation for our UK Challenges. Such as Ride the Night which is our epic women only night bike ride through London.

This photo was taken at our Race the Sun Brecon Beacons, which is a team challenge event. It is a long day but we make it fun and seeing the teams complete the challenge makes the hard work worth it. 

What did you do before joining the team?

I did sports at college and went on to do a summer season in the south of France teaching windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and mountain biking. My return to the UK was perfect timing as I saw this job advertised so I went for it and here I am.

 

Tell us what your favourite event is that you have been on? 

So far my favourite event has been Ride the Night 2015, the atmosphere is incredible. Everyone is on such a high and proud of their fundraising efforts for cancer charities. It is lots of fun.

In October this year I am going on my first overseas event Women V Cancer Cycle Africa. We will cycle with a group of women across rural Tanzania. The route looks stunning.

Do you have any favourite moments from events?

My favourite moments so far have been the awards ceremonies at the end of the UK events, it is always so nice to see so many people come back to see the results and the awards. Even if some people know they have not won an award they love to come to celebrate with everyone the achievement of completing the challenge.

What would be your dream challenge?

I would love to do the 3 volcano challenge that Action for charity and dream challenges did a few years ago.

Tell us something random about you…

My favourite colour is Pink, pizza topping is Salami and chilli. Something I am scared of is…Ladybirds.

To find out more about Dream Challenges events please visit the website or contact us directly: 

W: www.actionforcharity.co.uk . E: events@dreamchallenges.co.uk T: 01590 646410

A sneaky peak into The Big Heart Bike Ride Tanzania...

Since 2007 we have run seven Big Heart Bike Rides. The first ever ride was in Cuba, since then the BHBR has travelled to India twice, Sinai in Egypt, Tanzania and Jordan. The events have raised thousands of pounds for a number of heart charities.

The ride sees all types of challengers take part. Some already have the cycling bug, others have previously completed a Big Heart Bike Ride, plus people who at the point of registration worry they are too old or too unfit. The great thing is that they all work together and finish together. We know that following the event many long standing friendships are formed. 

In 2016 we will be taking the ride back to Tanzania, Africa. This week we wanted to give you a sneaky peak into the ride with the use of photos taken when our crew did a recce of the route.

Starting in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro…

The Big Heart Bike Ride in Africa will entail five consecutive days of cycling for a distance of 360km across stunning Tanzania. The starting point for the cycle is Moshi which lies in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 meters.

From Moshi the ride heads to its first overnight camp at Olpopongi Maasai Village. Cycling through the bustling Maasai town of Sanyu Juu and on through lush landscapes. 

We will be greeted by the ever-friendly local children as we cycle from village to village. Once at Olpopongi Maasai Village take the opportunity to explore and we will be given an insight into the authentic Maasai way of life. In the evening whilst we relax around the campfire we will be enchanted by the Maasai dancing and singing.

From Olpopongi Massai Village to Arusha…

The following morning we leave the Olpopongi Maasai Village and head to Arusha which is 76kms away. We will start the day by cycling through an area sandwiched between Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru (4565m), still considered by experts to be an active volcano.

The volcanic landscape offers a striking difference to the lush surroundings of Kilimanjaro. 
There is the potential to see lots of wildlife along the route today including giraffe, impala, baboon, monkey and a variety of birdlife. 

 We will finish the day by cycling into the bustling town of Arusha, the main town in northern Tanzania where we stay in comfort in a hotel for the night.  

From hustle and bustle to tranquil grasslands…

The next morning we will head from Arusha to Zion Campsite near Tarangire National Park a 94km cycle.  After a few kilometres we leave the hustle and bustle of Arusha behind to cycle through beautiful rolling and seemingly endless grasslands. 

Our lunch stop will give us the opportunity to visit the nearby Mtimmoja Primary School where approximately 380 Maasai children are educated.

After a long but beautiful day of cycling we descend into the warm basin of the east African Rift Valley where we camp close to the Tarangire National Park.

Cycle Tarangire National Park to Manyara National Park…

From Tarangire National Park to Lake Manyara National Park. The first half of today’s ride is a speedy and flat 35kms on a wide and comfortable asphalt road. Cycling through the Rift Valley it becomes an area of stark contrasts, great natural beauty and fantastic off-road cycling. If we are lucky we may see troops of monkey and baboon crossing the bumpy dirt trail which cuts through various cultivated areas. As we approach Lake Manyara a hillier section merges with a swampy area. Arriving and staying in Lake Manyara National Park overnight.

Cycle to the finish line in the Garden of Eden…

We cycle today to our finish line at the gates of the Ngorongoro Crater National Park, often referred to as ‘The Garden of Eden’. Ngorongoro is famous for its profusion of wildlife found within the extinct crater which was formed when a large volcano exploded three million years ago. It is 610 meters deep and has a floor area of 260 square kilometres. Upon reaching the gates of the Ngorongoro Crater there will be the opportunity for celebrations as we cross the official finish line.

After completing the challenge of a lifetime the following day we have the opportunity to take an optional jeep safari into the Ngorongoro Crater which affords the best chance to see lots of game at various locations around the crater before having a picnic lunch at the hippo pool. An incredible way to end an incredible adventure.

A challenge of a lifetime completed…

Feel inspired? To find out more about Dream Challenges events please visit the website or contact us directly: 

W: www.actionforcharity.co.uk . E: events@dreamchallenges.co.uk T: 01590 646410

I have walked 500 miles and I would walk 500 more…

We are not quite sure if our feature guest has covered quite as many miles as The Proclaimers did in their famous 1980’s hit. However, we are pretty sure they are not far off. This week we asked Dream Challenges repeat challenger Joanne Chapman to tell us why, in the past seven years, she has completed no less than nine challenges with Dream Challenges. 

It started with a love of walking…

I have always had a love of walking, having grown up in the Pennines with the Pennine Way on my doorstep. I walked that one with a friend and her father at the tender age of 16 and followed it the next year with the Coast to Coast. Long distance walking was then curtailed to weekend walks as I headed off to university and then started my career as a Chartered Accountant.

However, I never lost the bug and in 2008, after seeing a poster for the JordanianDesert Walk, I took the plunge, signed up and have never looked back.

I did not know a soul on that walk, but within minutes of meeting everyone at the airport I had made new friends, many of whom I remain in touch with. I followed Jordan with the Inca Trail in Peru in 2009, which remains one of my favourites. Seeing Machu Pichu for the first time, through the Sun Gate in the early morning light, is something I will not easily forget.

I took a break from the Dream Challenges treks in 2010 and headed off to Yosemite with a group of friends to walk part of the John Muir Trail through the Sierra Nevada (more on that below). The break didn’t last long as 2011 saw me back with Dream Challenges for my first visit to Nepal and the Annapurna trek.

I then upped the ante in 2012, heading back to Yosemite with an old university friend to complete the 210 mile John Muir Trail passing through Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. We carried full kit and camped out for most of the trail. There were a couple of nights when we stayed in ranches along the way and enjoyed a hot shower rather than a freezing cold dip in the mountain tarns. A fabulous walk with stunning views, but not one for the faint hearted.

How do you beat the John Muir Trail…..well, I guess by signing up for the Everest Base Camp trek. That was 2013 sorted and in 2014, my fiftieth birthday year, I climbed Kilimanjaro, completed the Snowdonia Challenge and for my actual birthday, flew out to Uganda on the Gorilla Trek – fabulous. To track and then sit with the mountain gorillas is one of the highlights of my life.

So what does the future hold? 

Well, September 2015 is the Great Wall of China trek with a tour extension to take in the Terracotta Warriors. 2016 is another private venture with some friends when we head out to Nepal to trek in the Upper Mustang Region with the Sherpa who led us to Everest Base Camp and for 2017.

I plan to walk from John O’Groats to Lands End with a couple of friends. I have no idea what I will do after that, but I have no intention of hanging up my walking boots whilst I can still put one foot in front of the other. The challenge is now on for Dream Challenges to come up with something new for me to do as I have just about exhausted their trekking list!!

Those who are tempted…I can only say DO IT.

For those who are tempted to sign up for their first trek, I can only say DO IT. You won’t regret it and you’ll meet some amazing people and make some friends for life. Just make sure you are fit enough, your boots fit properly and are well walked in (blisters can make for a miserable trek) and you are capable of carrying your day pack. For the John Muir Trail when I had a full pack and camping equipment I trained by putting three large granite rocks inside my rucksack and endlessly walked the cliff paths by my home. I also cycle a great deal and make sure not to cheat on the steep hills. When the going gets tough, put your head down, grit your teeth, think of the charity you’re fund raising for and get on with it. You’ll be amazed at how far you can push yourself and the sense of achievement when you reach the top is phenomenal.

Feel inspired? To find out more about Dream Challenges events please contact us: 

W: www.actionforcharity.co.uk/index.php E: events@dreamchallenges.co.uk P: 01590 646410