The Original BFG Climbs Mount Kilimanjaro!

  A fair question many of you have asked is why am I climbing the 4th highest mountain in the world. The short answer is of course to raise funds for HSO - Herts Schools Outreach. However, many people would say there are other ways to fundraise, for example, jumping out of a plane is a much quicker journey up and down whilst running a 5-10km would require less training, is more achievable, and cost less. However, the challenge of training for the best part of the next 12 months, trekking for seven days and the inevitable altitude sickness make this an extraordinary challenge which is lucky because HSO is an extraordinary charity.  Who Are HSO - Herts Schools Outreach? Founded in 2019 by my friend and fellow Kilimanjaro challenger Michaela Johnson, HSO is a support service for all children and young people across the UK promoting and enhancing positive mental health change.  Since 2019, HSO has positively impacted and supported over 1,272 children and young people and with the Covid 19

If you haven't heard the news yet, I (aka the Original BFG, pictured left) have signed up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in June 2024. In taking on this challenge I will also be raising funds for a charity that I am a trustee of, namely HSO - Herts Schools Outreach .  Before finding out about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I had no desire to climb any significant hills, peaks, or mountains, let alone the highest mountain in Africa and the fourth highest mountain in the world! However, when this opportunity came up, it took me all of 10 minutes to sign up to take part in it. In taking on this utterly ridiculous challenge, I thought writing a regular blog alongside my training programme would be a useful way to track progress, keep all of you reading this up to date and let you know more about this challenge I have decided to undertake. In the weeks to come, I will keep this blog up to date with the latest news from my training plan (lots of walking, hiking, and visits to the gym)