Adventurous Carolyn Asher has completed another of the seven major challenges she has set herself - to raise funds for important causes and raise awareness of the value of exercise as a way to stronger physical and mental health.
As reported in the Midweek Herald earlier this year, Carolyn, of Meadows Crescent in Honiton, has already knocked off challenge number one – a virtual moonwalk for breast cancer research.
Walking for nine hours and 35 minutes she completed the 26.2 mile test of endurance in and around Honiton – including Hembury Fort Hill and Egland Hill.
Event number two was the 42K Mont Blanc Mountain Trail – originally scheduled to take place on June 27 but postponed by a week, until Sunday, July 4.
Carolyn said: “I did get to Chamonix, I did take part and I have returned to UK Covid-19 negative.
“However, it all became a bit of an epic, which included missing my outbound flight due to traffic congestion on the A303, being able to fly into Geneva the following day (despite having been told I could only book flights to France!), BA cancelling my return flight ticket from Lyon and not telling me, leaving me stranded in Lyon overnight on Monday and ending up flying back into Heathrow via Athens (where I nearly got stranded again!) on Tuesday. As for the event, therein lies yet another story.”
Carolyn explained: “The charity I did this to raise funds for is www.gotcha4life.org which works to prevent suicide and supports people with mental health issues.
“When I was choosing my charities, I picked ones that personally resonated with me. I decided to take a global approach, which is why not all the charities are UK based. However, Covid-19 has proved to us all that there are no boundaries and we are one people in one world.
“I also feel that highlighting organisations around the world that support people with the same challenges that the UK population face is important.”
“Of all the events I have done, this one definitely takes the prize in terms of both the level of resources and the range of them demanded.”
Carolyn added: “My prime interest is in how exercise/physical activity can help people manage chronic health issues when medicines and surgery don’t have viable options, and this is the need I want to serve.
“I’ve been using this strategy for the last 20 years and it has literally saved my life as well as making it way better than it would have been. I therefore feel I have knowledge, experience and skills I can and want to share. My plan is to offer an advisory service, which certainly won’t be a ‘medical service’ but its foundation will be fun, sustainable, appropriate fitness and encouraging and enabling people to build this into their life, enhancing its quality.”