New Year = New Challenges

In a few short hours, it will be 2009... The year of the trek! Oh and the new diet starts in a few hours too!!! Time to finish off those extra Granola bars I got for Xmas!

No longer will I be able to say "oh its next year" or hit the alarm clock and have an extra hour in bed! It's quickly approaching!

I put together my training program a few weeks ago now and have kept to it sort of (Fitness Training and Life Saving got effected by Xmas & NY).

I also went out in the sales on the 27th and got myself a nice snug Down 4 Season Sleeping bag with my Christmas money, I have never spent so much on a sleeping bag before, normally I would buy one, use it for a few months then toss it. But not with this new one... I am just glad it was 50% off as I wasn't going to pay nearly £300 for a sleeping bag!! As my brother pointed out, that's a good few nights in a hotel!

Like most peoples New Year, its a time when all the getting fit is in fashion, all the fitness DVD's come out, exercise equipment is in all the shops and in a weeks time, they are in the cupboard or garage... I have had way too many thoughts about picking up Wii Fit for training purposes.... Loosing a few extra pounds would also be nice!

Yesterday I went back to Haldon forest for a 3 mile walk and my nice new shiny boots are now covered in mud!! December was always the easiest month for training with just nice short walks, but January kicks off with some 2 hour walks creeping into the plan. Also the easterly winds for the past week has been a bit blustery while walking along the Coastal path.
See Below of some photos of those training sessions!

Christmas Collection Update

Through December I have been running a small little fundraising effort down at the cafe, with people trying to guess the Penguin's name (Which was called Pablo) and what time the Bear woke (That will be revealed on New Years Day!).

In total over £175 was raised, So I would like to thank everyone for having a go and the extra donations. Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year

Mid December Update

Well its now just about 4 months to the trek and I kicked off the walking training about 4 weeks ago, just starting with a few trips to the gym to spend 35 mins on the running/walking machine and 5 minutes on the steps. Plus a 1 hour "real walk". Plus Sunday mornings doing lifesaving training and Wednesday Evenings doing fitness training... This week I slightly changed my program to do 1 2 hour walk from Teignmouth to the other side of Dawlish and a 2 mile walk in Haldon Forest.
I've sorted out my training plan and will be increasing the amount of time walking each week. For the next 6 weeks or its nice short walks.

The Christmas campaign with the name the penguin and what time will the bear wake have gone very well, however this week its been a bit slow...oh and I sold a tumble dryer and popped that into the Christmas campaign!

Christmas Fundraising

I will be having a small fundraising event throughout December down at my East Cliff Cafe.

Guess My Name? and What Time Will I Wake?

Just 50p a Guess

Guess My Name? I could be POPPY?... I could be PIP?... I could be YOURS if you guess my name CORRECTLY! Loveable penguin that sings and dances that everyone will want to try and win!

What Time Will I Wake?...... This tired little bear is trying to catch 40 winks! Can you guess what time he will wake up? Will it be 8.00am?... Will it be 5.00pm? He could be YOURS if you can guess the time correctly! Adorable, soft fabric teddy that snores! His tummy even inflates and deflates as he breathes.

First information on Boxes

This morning I recieved a letter from Shelterbox informing me that a box has been sent out to Haiti to accomodate those affected by the recent hurricanes in the area. I also had a look at the Shelterbox Honor Roll to find that another box went out to Inaruwa, S E Nepal To accommodate those affected by recent flooding in the area.

Shelterbox's Honor Roll is a way of tracking where the boxes go out to, however they are still working on it so not all donations are trackable.

The box that has just gone out to Haiti was directly funded by the money raised at the Coffee Morning & Stocks day last month.

Press for Stocks & Coffee Morning

Here are some press clippings from this past week from the Herald Express and Express and Echo for the Stocks & Coffee Morning.

Coffee & Stocks Day raises £800

Today we had our “Coffee Morning & Stocks” day at East Cliff Café, on the seafront of Teignmouth. And it was a huge success where we raised over £800, it was a beautiful sunny summers day that brought out plenty of people onto the sea front as well as many of my regular customers. A big thank you has to be given to the Pope family who donated £50. Also all the sales from the café between 10am until 1pm, which is thanks to many of our suppliers including Hunts, Devon Cake, Tetley and Rhodda Cream. I would also like to thank Mike Irvin who made 3 lovely cakes for us to sell.

Throughout the Day both my father, Iain, and myself placed ourselves in the stocks for people to throw wet sponges at us. Luckily for us, most people had poor aim!!!!
I would like to thank Dave Purchase Home Improvements for building the stocks.

I also had another pleasant surprise when I got home to find a £50 cheque from South West Water.

See below for some pictures from the day and a video can be found on Youtube thanks to Chris Lavis at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM3GB6YJHvU

Mid Sept Update

Well its just a couple of weeks from the stock & coffee morning on the Sat 28th Sept, one of my main suppliers for East Cliff Cafe has seen me and offered their support by giving me some bacon, baps, sausages, bread etc. So a big thank you to Hunts Food Service.

Also as of this week, my new training programme starts with me going over to Dawlish Leisure centre every day for swimming and using the gym! Fun Fun Fun!!

End of August Update.. Stocks & Coffee Morning 27th Sept

Well that was August. This month hasn't been the best month for fundraising however I had planned on doing very little due to it being the busiest month of the year for the Cafe and I simply didn't have the time.

However I have been sorting out the next event, a Stock & Coffee Morning will be taking place on Saturday 27th September at the East Cliff Cafe, on the Seafront of Teignmouth. I have a local carpenter putting together a stock for me and Dad to be placed into.

As well as money being raised from people throwing water at me and Dad, all sales between 10am and 1pm will be donated as well from East Cliff Cafe.

I contacted all my suppliers and would like to thank Tetley for sending me 1000 tea bags and future thank you to Devon Cakes and Rodda Cream for their promised donations.

Training.... This month has just flown by, training has involved swimming at least 20 lengths front crawl of the Outdoor Lido every morning plus Lifeguard training 2 to 3 times a week. Hopefully now the kids are about to go back to school, I will get a little more time off to train. As its been nearly 2 weeks since my last day off.

Anyway...thanks for reading...

Update for Early August

Its the start of August and it is the busiest time of the year at Work down at the East Cliff Cafe. With the skydive feeling a long time ago, its time to move onto the next stage of the fundraising.
Plans are afoot for a "stock" event at the end of September. Where my Dad (Iain) and I will put ourselves at the mercy of our friends and customers while they hurl wet sponges at us! Of course at a price!!!

I am still putting together the details i.e. choosing a date and making a pair of stocks (well I will be speaking to my useful little brother about this!).

As far as training goes, I will admit I haven't done any walking in a few weeks (except for around town). I could say that working 6 days a week at full steam is my excuse however I have been throwing all my efforts into training for a Surf Life Saving Lifeguard award, with my Exam being at the end of September (I need my exam date before I can sort out the Stock date). This means I have a two month training programme that is physically challenging that requires me to swim, paddle and run in a number of different situations. My biggest obstacle for the exam is a 16 length 400m timed swim in just over 9 minutes. So I have been down at the lido every morning for the past 3 weeks (and for the next 6 weeks!) doing lengths as well as doing 3 evenings a week training out in the sea. I may not be walking but I am still exercising more than I have ever done in my life and I figured this is a great way of breaking up the exercise routine for the summer before getting on with the walking in October.

I also am in the process of contacting some of my suppliers companies regarding some support for coffee mornings...

Anyway that's an update of what's happening!!! all go go go !

SkyDive Roundup

Well it has been a few weeks since my skydive from 15,000ft, all the money has been collected (well apart from 2 people I need to catch!) and sent off to Shelterbox.

I also had a blurb in last weeks Express and Echo and a full report and picture in the Herald Express. See Above

A Week Later!

Well its a week since the Skydive....And its been an fun week telling everybody (and showing the photos) about the Skydive. Luckily for me, I had collected most of the money before the jump so have only had to collect a small amount after the event. But my intentions were to send in the donations a week after the jump...Which is today. With only a handful of donations left to collect, I have sent (well online anyway) the sponsorship money off. The last of the sponsorship shouldn't take too long to collect, its just a case of waiting to see them!!!

Also Shelterbox and Charity Challenge have confirmed the Peru trek in April so its all systems go!

Woooooo I Jumped!!!

Well today was the day I've been waiting for, after a false start last week, the weather had turned and it was all go....

So I suited up, boarded a small plane and took to the skies in what easily is the scariest flight of my life.. There was no peanuts, no toilet and just two benches with me sat in a lap of my instructor (Jason). Then as everybody else leaped, it was just me left (well and Jason, oh and the Camera girl Keri and another camera man!).

Looking over the edge of the doorway with the wind making an incredible noise, looking straight down, was a terrifying thought, but it didn't last long as soon I was plummeting to the ground, from a height of 15,000 feet (the highest you can go with Tandem!)....

The feeling was that of complete adrenaline and of complete sheer terror and fear. Posing for photos wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do (but I was a pro), My head throbbing due to the attitude and pressure. Then suddenly it goes all quiet as the parachute opens and we come to a Holt.

The freefall was fantastic as it was so weird but fast, the paragliding in after was just strange, my legs just dangling with the world below me. Then having to adjust my leg strap (man did I do that slowly!). The pressure on my arms and legs was intense, causing them to go rather numb. With my throbbing head (its still aching now, a few hours later!), numb legs and arms I thought I was having a heart attack! Then just before we came in for the landing, I started to feel rather sick in my stomach (but I manned up and kept it down!).

Then with a slight bump, it was down onto the ground. The most exciting event in my life had just happened and was over. And I was glad....it was fantastic but never again!

After boarding the school bus back to the centre, I slumped into the couch, only for the receptionist to come over as I looked "a little pale" and got me to have a look at the photos.. Well I hadn't intended on purchasing the photos and video, but I had too. They were fantastic (Keri certainly was a lively girl!) but I knew I was never going to do that again and would regret not getting them... Sure my credit card wasn't happy, but I certainly was.

So there it is, after months of planning, the big jump is now done and boy was it great...its going to take days to come down from the high! Now I just have to collect the last of the sponsorship and try just to drum up that last bit of sponsorship. At the moment I have raised over £1050 for Shelterbox, it might have cost me over £400 for the jump (with the video and photos!), but it certainly was worth every penny...

For more pictures see my facebook album http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=133889&l=5d850&id=851990250

What a day......

Well today was the day for the Skydive..

However it wasn't too be. The weather came in with too much cloud (there was 2 types of cloud, neither are good for skydiving) and there was too much wind (with gusts over 24 and we couldn't jump if it was over 20). So I spent the entire afternoon at the Dunkerswell AirField waiting for the weather to change...but it didn't. So I am now rebooked in for next friday....the 11th of July... At least it gives me another week for collecting sponsorship!

Final Hours

Well its now the day before the big leap of faith.... Hopefully the weather will give me a window of opportunity to do it, otherwise it will be postponed...

A busy week

It's been nearly 2 weeks since my last update...its been very very busy down at the beach, with last weekends Folk Festival taking up loads of time and effort. This weekend saw the Den play host to Veteran's Day, which had 4 paratroopers come down.. Unfortunately 1 of the 4 came in too fast and plowed into the crowd. Hardly the thing I wanted to see before doing my skydive this coming Friday!!!

I've been continuing with my sponsorship for my skydive, however it has slowed down (only so many people I could ask!). Due to being rather busy I have only managed a couple of short walks, but lifesaving training has continued twice a week...(I've Lost another 2 pounds so I haven't done too bad!)

ShelterBox at Babbacombe Fayre

Today I went over to the Rotary's Babbecombe Fayre where the ShelterBox demonstration trailer was there. Here I got to see the contents of a ShelterBox up close and personal. Oh and I have a nice new ShelterBox T-shirt for the skydive! And make contact with one of the workers down in Cornwall.

See below for some pictures

I had a ShelterBox for a morning!

On Saturday (14th June 08) I had a nice surprise, as one of the NCI (National CoastWatch Institute) Members who is also a member of the Rotary brought down a ShelterBox to me at my East Cliff Cafe while he was on watch for the morning. He is going to be using the box as part of a demonstration with the roadside truck over iat Babbacombe Fayre on Babbacombe Downes on Wednesday 18th June , which I will be going to as a fact finding mission!

I was able to put the box out on display (unfortunately I couldn't open it as it was sealed for the demonstration on Wednesday) but it still was a great opportunity to have an actual ShelterBox to hand for a couple of hours. Informing some of my customers of ShelterBox and my skydive in a couple of weeks (and getting some sponsorship!)

At some point before the Machu Picchu Trek in April, I would like to have a demonstration day down at my East Cliff Cafe. But I've got to get this small "jump" out of the way first!
Here are some pictures of that morning

Weekly Update Week 2

In the past week, sponsorship has gone extremely well for my sponsored skydive which is now just three weeks away!! At the moment all my fundraising efforts are on the skydive and will be for the next month (since I will have to spend a week or two chasing up some pledges!).

This week was the start of the new summer training night for Teignmouth Beach Surf Life Saving Club, so Monday and Wednesday nights was training out in the sea which saw me swimming around the pier! I’ve also walked to Holcombe Village and back twice. Last weekend I went into the tourist information office and got some local walking trail brochures and I also went up to Haldon Forest yesterday to the visit centre to get some trail guides!
I even managed to get a letter into my local newspaper the Teignmouth Post for the jump.

First Week!

Well it's been a week since I booked on the Trek in Peru which has kick started the fundraising campaign. Plenty of background work is underway for the next few tasks and events, but my main focus has been on the SkyDive which is now all booked for the 4th of July..American Independence Day and I have been busy collecting sponsorship for the Sky Dive .

Training has begun, two nights this week I have gone out for an hour walk off to Holcombe and back. As well as a few swims... I've certainly got my government recommended 5x30 minute exercises!

On the 4th of July!!!! Jump!!!

Well I've gone and done it now, I've just gotten off the phone with Skydive UK over at Dunkeswell Airfield near Honiton and have booked in my Tandem Skydive for the 4th of July 08. Ahhhhh!!!!

My sponsorship for the skydive has gotten off to a fantastic start but everybody wanted to know when I was doing it.... Now I have a month to try and raise as much sponsorship as possible for the jump!! I have paid for the parachute jump myself since I think its going to be a hell of an experience and one of those "things to do before your 30" type of things and after hitting 28 last week, it seemed a good idea!

To sponsor me, it can be done online at http://www.justgiving.com/rogerpalmer or in person down at East Cliff Cafe.

SkyDiving!

Today was my first day where I started to collect sponsorship for my first fundraising task, a sponsored Skydive. Which I am looking to do at some point in July maybe August, depending on how my sponsorship goes but I would like to get it done before the 6 weeks kids holiday.
I have never done a Parachute jump before and have always wanted to do so, however I have always been too large to do one. Now I am below their maximum weight allowed, there is no longer an excuse not to do it!
Once it’s all booked, all the details will quickly appear here!

It all go now!

After a few weeks of research and thinking, I have contacted Shelterbox and pre-booked on the Trek to Machu Picchu for April 2009.

I want a challenge, I want to lose some more weight, I want to get fitter and this trip gives my the incentive to do it, spending 4 days hiking across 45km through high attitude mountain regions to one of the new 7 wonders of the world. Its been a year since I started my new lifestyle choice due to a health scare and have lost over 10 stone, but I can’t seem to shift that last couple of stone and this trek means I have to up my training regime to the next level. And if I can help people along the way then that is a fantastic bonus.

Deciding what charity didn’t take long, after the events of the Typhoon in Burma and the Earthquake in China and seeing the boxes arriving on our local news made it an easy decision. Shelterbox helps everybody around the world no matter their region, race, wealth or political views. The money I raise may not help those in need in Burma but you never know where the next natural disaster might happen and who will be affected. I am lucky enough to be in a position to take time away from work and willing to give up my time and money for training and raising money for Shelterbox.

Now the trip is booked and the hard work begins. This challenge isn’t only about getting fit (which is going to be hard work) but raising money for sponsorship (which is going to be a lot harder!) I’ve never done anything like this before, the only sponsored thing I have ever done was an Ice Cream eating contest!

I’ve put together a number of ways to raise sponsorship and a fitness plan.My first money raising idea is to do a sponsored tandem Skydive. I have always wanted to do one of these however have been over the weight allowed to do it. It’s a scary thing to do, but is another challenge I’m able to do following my weight loss. I am planning on doing the skydive at some time during the summer (probably in August). But don’t want to book it under I am half way to my skydive sponsored target.

So now the money plan is in motion, with other ideas to sort out over the next few weeks, I also have my training to get underway with. Since the Teignmouth Lido is just across the street from the café, I am going swimming as much as possible during the next few months to build up my stamina and Cardiovascular. As well as plenty of short walks, luckily for me I am in a beautiful part of the world with plenty of walks nearby including coastal paths, forests and of course Dartmoor.
But for now…its time to knuckle down and get going or jumping!!!