Today I’m heading to South Africa where I’ll be leading a team of 100 people from all over the World on a 4-day, 100 km trek through the Drakensberg Mountain Range. It’s part of the Laureus Sport for Good and Just Challenge partnership where I am proud to be an Ambassador. It’s a massive fundraising and physical challenge for everyone and I’m delighted to be doing this alongside my two sisters on the team – we’ve all been training and looking forward to meeting everyone and getting started – definitely feeling a few nerves but that’s a good thing, right?!
Everyone taking part this week has done their own local fundraising and a whopping US$345,000 has been raised. Unreal. Five beneficiaries within the Laureus Foundation, including two in the Ireland Active Communities Network (ACN), will benefit from these funds. ACN help youngsters who’ve been through very tough times to get back on track through sport. I’m thrilled that so much has been raised and every cent will go directly to these five charities helping kids all over the globe.
No doubt over the week in South Africa, we will build up our own sense of community within the group, connecting and helping each other along the way. I’m really looking forward to this part of the week. The whole sense of community is one of the reasons I got involved with Gym+Coffee in the first place; getting to know a few new faces, committing yourself to a new challenge, being outside and getting out of your comfort zone.
In my own career, I’ve experienced the rewards that come with pushing personal boundaries; the feeling of achievement that comes with that is unreal. Give it a go. You’ll get hooked! Take a short moment out of your day today to make a new connection, try something you’ve never done before or even reconnect with someone you’ve maybe let slide. Make Life Richer by simply getting outside.
Right, I’m off to catch this plane. In the meantime, keep making your own commitments and don’t forget to join our Summer Stretch Series throughout the month of June. Sign up here to hear more about our Summer Stretch and how you can get involved!
See you outside!
