At work yesterday I interviewed a woman who is hula hooping her way up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the charity I work for (World Cancer Research Fund) because she has two close friends battling cancer.
She is taking the Lemosho Route, known as the second timers route because it's the longest of the outfield routes, the climb will take eight days, sometimes climbing for six hours at a time and up to approx 12,000 feet every day. Some people suffer terrible sickness and nausea. And this woman, who admits she is 'athletically disinclined', plans to not only climb the mountain but also hula hoop at particular points all the way up and then hula hoop at the summit, despite probably being tired, dirty and in agonizing pain!
I talk to a lot of fundraisers in my job and don't get me wrong, I always enjoy hearing about the amazing things they are doing for us, it always puts a smile on my face.
But talking to this girl made me feel particularly invincable, like anything is possible.
Her positivity was amazing, I just loved her chipper personality, her 'I can do anything' point of view. Doing something this amazing because it would make her two friends smile. And she is taking Hula Hooping classes in North London! (http://www.ilovehulahooping.com/) I am so going!
But anyway, back to the amazing fundraiser, Julianne McGregor who is 28. She plans to raise £3,350 for WCRF and will climb the mountain this September.
"Like most people, I have close friends and family in my life who are fighting, or have fought, cancer." she said, "They come from all walks of life but the one thing they have in common is an overwhelming positivity in the face of trials and a fantastic sense of humour. At the risk of sounding cheesy, they inspire me every day and brighten the lives of those around them, so I thought it was high time I returned the favour."
She has a youtube channel too, www.youtube.com/hulajules, and will be making videos of her progress as she trains and when she does climb the mountain and you can sponsor her at www.wcrf-uk.org/sponsor.
She's inspired me so much I think I might take up a challenge of my own... any ideas anyone?
Showing posts with label Hula Hooping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hula Hooping. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Hula hooping across my bedroom.
Hula hoops are fun right? Hula hoops can't cause you any pain. They are just something you played with in the playground at school. Nothing hardcore about a hula hoop.
Well, that would be a very wrong assumption. Hula hoops cause PAIN.
Last night I put on some dance music, some Justice, some Prodigy and some pop too, Girls Aloud is somewhat fun to hula hoop too! I grabbed my new freebie hula hoop and I hula-ed. For an hour. And I can honestly say it was the most hardcore workout I have done in ages. My back, thighs and even my arms are literally killing me today. And my stomach was killing me last night. This is good. When hula-ing in a little crop top last night I could see just how imperfect my stomach was. With a bit more hula-ing, I am so banishing the belly wobbles. And, according to some nutrition and fitness experts I know, I probably burned about 550 calories, that's nearly five milky way bars!
Ok admittedly I wasn't constantly hula-ing. My abs aren't that amazing. Initially the hula spent more time on the floor than it did twirling around my waist. And there were a fair few times everything went a bit tits up and the hoop smacked me in the face (see, hula hoops cause pain). There was also a bit of a space constraint issue - my room is large but it's not that large. I very nearly sent two glasses of water and a bedside lamp flying.
However, as the hour went on I got better, lots better. I went from barely doing one turn of the hoop to being able to walk/sort of jig around my room keeping the hoop up. Oh my daydreams now, I want to be like Yulia Pikhtina from La Clique who can hula 50 hoops at once, who can hula two hoops on each arm and who I must say is a very firm and pert bottomed lady.
Hula hooping: the future of my fitness regime!
Well, that would be a very wrong assumption. Hula hoops cause PAIN.
Last night I put on some dance music, some Justice, some Prodigy and some pop too, Girls Aloud is somewhat fun to hula hoop too! I grabbed my new freebie hula hoop and I hula-ed. For an hour. And I can honestly say it was the most hardcore workout I have done in ages. My back, thighs and even my arms are literally killing me today. And my stomach was killing me last night. This is good. When hula-ing in a little crop top last night I could see just how imperfect my stomach was. With a bit more hula-ing, I am so banishing the belly wobbles. And, according to some nutrition and fitness experts I know, I probably burned about 550 calories, that's nearly five milky way bars!
Ok admittedly I wasn't constantly hula-ing. My abs aren't that amazing. Initially the hula spent more time on the floor than it did twirling around my waist. And there were a fair few times everything went a bit tits up and the hoop smacked me in the face (see, hula hoops cause pain). There was also a bit of a space constraint issue - my room is large but it's not that large. I very nearly sent two glasses of water and a bedside lamp flying.
However, as the hour went on I got better, lots better. I went from barely doing one turn of the hoop to being able to walk/sort of jig around my room keeping the hoop up. Oh my daydreams now, I want to be like Yulia Pikhtina from La Clique who can hula 50 hoops at once, who can hula two hoops on each arm and who I must say is a very firm and pert bottomed lady.
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