'Nothing can prepare you for the sight of Machu Picchu when you walk through the arches of The Sun Gate – absolutely nothing. You want to laugh and cry simultaneously as what you’re looking at is so breathtaking and you are so exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. We all looked at each other in some sort of amazement before all crying – some of us more than others! A couple of plastic cups of champagne later and it was time to start the descent to the Machu Picchu entrance. We’d entered just as everyone else disappeared, so it was an extra special time for us. Just as we started to descent, the clouds cleared away and a crown to golden sunshine settled perfectly on the Machu Picchu hillcrest in front of us. Our perfect reward.'
We are all capable of much more than we know, it's just that we don’t get the opportunity to find out what our hidden strengths are:
“To do what you’ve never had, you must do what you’ve never done!”
Helen Crowe
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Helen’s trek to Macchu Picchu, Peru, May 2009
(created on 6th Nov 2008)
I’m very excited about an big challenge I’ve set myself for 2009- something very special I'm going to do to celebrate my 50 years on the planet,
where you can help me make a real difference.
My amazing second life began on 13th July 2004 when I was told I had advanced bowel cancer, with a 5% chance of being alive in 2 years. Well, you probably noticed that I am still here, and have just celebrated my 50th birthday. I am also cancer-free, and have never felt better about being alive and about my life, than now. I have been given the gift of self-belief and realising that I can achieve anything I choose – there are no limits to what is possible. A few years ago I never would have believed I would be running my own successful business and be heading for Peru!
To celebrate my 50 years, and to say ‘thank you’ for the amazing second life I’ve been given, I’m trekking to Macchu Picchu (via a rarely used Inca highway) in May next year. I’m doing this to raise money and raise awareness for
Beating Bowel Cancer, a charity that made a huge difference to my life and to that of my family. It’s a privilege to now be the one giving back.
Beating Bowel Cancer, a charity that made a huge difference to my life and to that of my family. It’s a privilege to now be the one giving back.
It was through my diagnosis (and my constant nagging!) that both my brothers were checked and found to have bowel cancer too, but as they were caught early are now completely cancer free. That’s an important part of why I’m doing this – if more people are aware of the signs and symptoms, they’ll be caught early and will make a full recovery. What’s further spurred me on is that my beloved father was diagnosed with bowel cancer recently too, and is now recovering from major surgery. So that’s 4 of us now - another reminder, and another reason to take action and raise money and awareness now!
This isn’t something I was planning on doing, but when my ‘Beating Bowel Cancer’ newsletter landed on the mat, and I glanced at a photo of Macchu Picchu on the front page of their 2009 fundraiser, I just knew this was where I was going. I’ve dreamed of going to Macchu Picchu ever since I can remember, and oddly enough I was reading a book set in Peru, and the chapter I read that night was about the main character going to Macchu Picchu. That very same evening there was a documentary about Macchu Picchu on TV - so someone was telling me something!
Thanks for reading, and thank you in advance for your contribution to my Journey.
Here’s to the adventure!
Helen x
'Security is an illusion. Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all'
Helen Keller
