Zoe Armitage explains why she is getting ready for the biggest physical challenge of her life by running up and down hills, stairs and steps.
No I’m not on some weight loss mission, nor have I developed a strange form of OCD.
Inca Trail
The truth of the matter is in August I will be joining around 25 other people to travel to Peru and tackle the famous and gruelling ‘Inca Trail’. The trek will take me six days travelling through the Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman’s Pass) a steep 3 hour uphill trek over uneven, ancient Inca steps, and mountainous terrain at some 4200m (13,800ft) above sea level before arriving in Macchu Pichu… definitely exhausted, probably elated and ideally having raised £2,000 for Framework!
I’m aware that although this will be undoubtedly an awe inspiring experience, it will not be without its hardships. There is a strong possibility of altitude sickness and that’s on top of the walking, which is no easy feat. I may be a healthy 26 year old but these are mountains… a stroll with the dog in the park this is not!
So why am I putting myself through this?
I’m doing it to raise much needed funds for Framework. Whatever difficulties I will endure during the trail are nothing compared with the day to day challenges experienced by some of Framework’s service users. What’s a few nights under canvas, walking with a backpack on your back when for many of the homeless people Framework supports this is a way of life, every day of the year- whatever the weather.
It isn’t just the homeless they support that I’m raising funds for. Many people don’t appreciate the excellent work that Framework does supporting those with mental health issues; helping them to rebuild their confidence and relationships – and in many cases giving them a zest for life that they’d forgotten about.
Framework crisis team at work
My dad is one of those people that Framework helped.
It’s not been an easy couple of years for him or the family. In June 2009 after months of suffering depression and strange episodes, my dad had a breakdown and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The diagnosis brought not only fear and upset to him and us, but also a sense of relief that he might finally get support and answers for the ‘episodes’ he’d had over the years.
But as many people can testify, a diagnosis and a few pills don’t work like magic. Unfortunately that was the start of a pretty long ‘trek’ for my Dad, one that’s had a few highs and a lot of lows – the worst being when he realised that he could no longer work. He seemed to lose all sense of purpose, sleeping during the day and rarely leaving the house without a family member with him.
We didn’t know how to help him and I wished for my old dad to come back. Now it’s May 2011 and my Dad is pretty much back, working and smiling again thanks to Framework.
It began when Gabriella, a support worker from Framework started to come round weekly and take him out for coffee, nothing huge, but it was a start. After a few months he was signed up for the joinery skills workshop that Framework runs – the first day was so nerve racking for him, meeting new people and being back in a work environment.
But he came back absolutely buzzing like his old self. Six months on and he still has bad days (but who doesn’t) and not only is he generally more positive, but he’s also volunteering as part of the joinery team and helping others learn new skills and rebuild their confidence, just like Framework did for him.
So that’s why I’ve become a step addict and I’m challenging myself to do the Inca Trail, because of the challenges faced by my Dad and all those other people Framework strives to help.
But I can’t do it without sponsorship as I need to raise a minimum of £2,000 to be even able to tackle the challenge event!
If you would like to sponsor Zoe, you can donate via her Just Giving page http://www.justgiving.com/Zoe-Armitage or by contacting Louise Darby at Framework on 0115 970 9527.
Anything you can donate will be enormously appreciated and will go towards helping the 7,000 homeless and vulnerable people Framework supports in the East Midlands and parts of South Yorkshire. Framework’s emergency response appeal was launched following recent cuts to vital services and just £5 can provide socks, t-shirts and underwear for someone who needs immediate help.
If Zoe’s story has inspired you why not do something different this year and join Framework on a challenge event in support of local homeless and vulnerable people. Mount Kilimanjaro Trek? Or a Mongolian Horse Trek in the footsteps of Genghis Khan? These are just some of over 30 open challenges that give you a fun and challenging way of raising vital funds for Framework. For more information and a link to all the available open challenges in 2011 and 2012 please click here.
