Why Kilimanjaro when I have already achieved my own 'Everest'?

Dear Friends

I wont bombard you with every detail from now on in as I know some of you are already enquiring and or following my next challenge, and wanting to know the ins and outs.

One of my forward thinking healing closure strategies was to always to go back to Africa to climb one last hurdle and in doing so close that chapter of my life. Its like saying good by, and hello and thanks for the early years all rolled into one.

Like a 'Pay it forward', so as to keep that Africa in me subliminally alive and where else better to achieve this at the 'Roof of Africa'.  Truly kissing the African air. Kilimanjaro is not 'Out of Africa' put very much 'In Africa'.

Sometimes we have to crawl through the thickened mosquito mud to achieve the sweet sweet closure.

I have always yearned to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, just as I always yearned to run across the Sahara. The Sahara has been fulfilled and crossed off the bucket list and what an accomplishment and fulfilling dream it was; Dreams do come true, however dreams remain dreams if not for focusing on the 'planning, actioning, doing, achieving and reviewing' strategies one has to set in order to fulfil these goals.

Some have asked me if I am really ready for it, truth be told, I was born ready, mentally ready and physically almost there.

Emotionally..................well what can I say; Emotional wellbeing is the most critical of the lot, even more so than mental and physical well being. Right now I am rock bottom in the emotional stakes, and I need this personal goal to improve and lift me. I have lost the emotional mojo, fighting the UK Government has depleted me, I am not so worried about my professional, financial and or mental/physical health, its my emotional health that I need to restore.

I know I can achieve but emotionally  I have taken a battering, and I need to rebuild that, thus having a life goal and a set goal at that will allow me to slowly rebuild and regain my emotional wellbeing.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is achieving a double goal set, closure and wellbeing in one. For every 30 minutes of physical exertion, I gain 1 hour of mental and emotional charity. It is a given, as having researched the Dopamine Receptors and their impact on the human brain/body one substantially rewarded for positive outcomes.

Climbing Kilimanjaro is not without risk, then again walking across the road in 2016 is a substantial risk. My risk is calculated on various factors, mental, physical and emotional strength, and critical planning backed up by my ability to push my body through endurance. I have never been great a speed analysis. Give me time and balance and I will beat the King of Speed himself.

I decided to again research all my options and look at smaller climbing groups/specialised organisers as most organisations nowadays offer 'en mass' buck list packages. Less is always more and because greater risk challenge groups become your survival mentors, it is best to stick with the  best and bond quicker, after all we are all after the summit, working together as a team will yield better results.

So along comes Mr Jason Rawles of 'JR Mountaineering' a genuine, highly passionate and compassionate man with a wealth of experience, however more importantly operates with professionalism; this equates to a sound and solid event.

http://www.jrmountaineering.com/

So far Jason has proved his worth by an excelling effective communication strategy as as well as offering a robust professional event itinerary with an a competitive pricing structure. 

http://www.jrmountaineering.com/about.html

For now, I shall be focusing on my mental and physical training as well as adjusting my critical thinking when it comes to 'thin air' / altitude training tactics.

Kilimanjaro Kit List: ELLIS BRIGHAM KILIMANJARO KIT LIST

http://www.ellis-brigham.com/media/312014/kilimanjaro_kit_list.pdf

Helpful Training Lists:

http://www.4thsummit.com/training-for-mount-kilimanjaro.aspx

http://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/preparation.htm

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/africa/topics/training-for-a-kilimanjaro-climb

http://www.expeditionkilimanjaro.com/preparation.php

http://www.kandooadventures.com/kilimanjaro-training-plan/

http://www.fitclimb.com/page/kilimanjaro-conditioning-plan

http://www.climbingkilimanjaro.com/climbing-kilimanjaro-fitness

https://teamkilimanjaro.com/training/

http://www.teamkilimanjaro.com/Team%20Kilimanjaro's%2012%20Week%20Training%20Programme.PDF

I will blog more in detail about kit, nutrition and more importantly altitude training, but for now I want to say a massive thanks for being so patient in years in darkness. 

Never Surrender, get up, go out and find your challenge, regardless of size or  type of challenge, get up and live, feel it, be it.

Best of #blisterfree wishes
The Fiery Freckle
#fieryfreckle #janetwillicott 
#jrmountaineering #jasonrawles

IMPOSSIBLE is not a concrete fact, It's just an OPINION

Dear Followers, Runners, Extreme Ultra Friends, Adventure Seekers and to those who have waited so patiently since 2014.

Shortly after shaking out the Sahara sand from my Hoka's and setting up various websites, blogs and getting back to routine, (family, work, studies) my life took on a whole new adventure, an 'adventure' that would see me reach to blackest of holes, challenging me to the ‘endth’ degree; the black scale that would question life, living and why? 

As most of you know, I thrive on challenge, I thrive on adventure, no task is too big, yet, all these adventures I undertake are self-controlled,  I can jump off at any time, I could shout the words "Get me out of here, I am a celebrity,  I refuse to eat crocodile testicles”. This time the 'adventure' was more than, more than running 160 miles nonstop across a barren desert in 54°C heat, more than swimming 60 miles in 44 hours, more than running nonstop across mountains and trails in the bitter polar cold winds of time.

This time, I had no control; I was literally at the mercy of the MACHINE - 'The United Kingdom Government'.  My journey literally would take me beyond mind, beyond physical and beyond soul. Where hope self-belief and stubbornness was my only chance of survival.  

Most of you will read this in disbelief; most people could never believe that the UK, a 1st world country would treat its citizens in such a draconian and archaic modus.

Believe it, as it happens, as this time, it happened to me, IT STILL HAPPENS, IT HAPPENS IN 2016, what I am about to describe does not come from a movie, this come from MY/OUR life, trust me, this adventure makes running across the Sahara like a stroll in the park after Christmas dinner and 2 litres of frozen yoghurt. Nothing can ever prepare one for what the MACHINE can do your psyche, body, mind, soul. STRESS DOES KILL.

No physical or mental challenge/adventure/journey could ever be as difficult as the last two years have been; for any adventure that I undertake from now on will be conducted with an awareness of anything is possible, it just needs to be undertaken.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNT AND WHAT I WILL IMPART IS CRITICAL TO OVERCOMING ANYTHING - WHEN I SAY ANYTHING I MEAN ANYTHING.

WHEN YOU TAKE ON A CHALLENGE, NEVER FIGHT WITH CHALLENGE; RATHER, ACCEPT IT. THIS IS THE FIRST PORT OF CALL. ACCEPTING THE FIGHT, RATHER THEN FIGHTING AGAINST THE FIGHT, WILL LEAD YOU TO FIRST HALF WAY MARK AUTOMATICALLY.  ANGER, ANNOYANCE AND THE LIKE WILL DEPLETE YOU OF YOUR MOST VALUED COMPDITY – ‘TIME & STRENGTH’.

ONCE I HAD ACCPTED THE FIGHT, I WAS RELEASED FROM THE ANGER; this did not mean I did not have or did not feel anger, I FELT IT, SLEPT IT AND LIVED IT, I still do feel it, I just did / do not allow it to consume me. I took me a whole year to reach this state of awareness, learn from me, and release the anger.

So I hear you say, come on what the hell have you experienced; well, as per my biography and from past posts, I have a very endearing, loving and an incredible enigma of a child. I fought for 4 years to get the world wide medical profession to listen to me, finally Cambridge University and the world wide genetics programme came forward; they agreed to research my son, to cut a long story short, 8 years later, and a phone call that stopped me in my shopping tracks, “the needle in the global hay stack was found”. The answers that I knew would arrive where published. #SETD 5 - A rare neurological intellectual condition, so rare that at the time he was one of six in the world. Two years later there are now 9 incredible human beings with this rare condition. This condition has gone on to underpin major brain function and forms part of the first building blocks of life. Medicine has been changed and history has now been written.

Well, getting back to the blackness and the most difficult challenge of my life thus far started just after I got back from the Sahara Desert in April 2014. As my son's condition is so rare, it took me 18 months to research 35 secondary / high schools that would be best suited to his needs and disposition. I eventually found one (not quite the spot) but as near as it could be, considering, no schools would have the know how apart from me in how to educate, stimulate, progress and transpire my son; however what was important was the ENVIRONMENT.  ‘Some’ could say that I am a parent who simply wants to be pushy or have the best of everything; well, that is so far from the truth it is off the scale. Don't we all want to achieve? However there is a distinct difference in wanting the best and making change whilst trying to arrange your disabled son’s life so as to include, progression, passion, integrity, equality, and care and the LAW. Why it is that the vulnerable and disabled and those without a voice are treated worse than shit?

Working 19 hours a day, takes its toll, however securing a school and life that will enhance my child rather than reverse his progress was and will always be my absolute.

My government decided in their inept 'wisdom' to 'loose' my son’s paper work, files and high (secondary) school application. Now, whilst I account for humans to make mistakes, it went downhill from there. The Disabled should have priority……. I don’t want to swear, but this is the biggest bullshit ever. The government refused to acknowledge my son, his needs, his rare syndrome and most of all his intelligence. His duality of conflict; my son cannot help for having a damaged brain, yet my government decided to state the following:

"All disabled people are the same, therefore they can all go to the one school" - now whilst I am a disability activist and fight for equality for all, this statement went beyond any reasonable understanding of such. Let’s simply place disabled children away, get them out of sight.  I said ‘fcuk you, and stood up and refused to acknowledge that my government want to hide my son away.  He is a human being, he has a soul, and he has a mind, a heart, is intelligent yet is simply rare and complex.

What followed was something not even Stephen King could conjure up on Friday the 13^th were it to fall on 31^st of October!!!!

So I set to work, taking on one of the most powerful governments in the world. It started securing a court tribunal to try and get my son into his school, based on the level of his intelligence, aptitude and disposition. This said school was not just my planning and interventions, but also recommend by all Clinical, Medical, Analytical and Psychological Professionals. It was not just a case of “stubborn parent from Chelsea”…. My government in their inept wisdom decided that it would cost too much to educate him, in the only school that would fit his disposition. After months of fighting legal teams and where the UK Government continued breaching legislations, regulations and local policies, I had my day in court; I had to represent myself as I was down to my last load of bread……What transpired after court and written into the final decision was a well-known legal phrase in UK legislation scribed as "if it burdens the tax payer, then your son will be hidden away". 

I had a choice; I either send my son to an institution that would ultimately cause the then 10 years of work/progress and clinical and analytical therapy to regress, as well as causing his mental and emotional health to slide in an eternal black hole of despair or I could halt my life, place my ‘everything’ on hold and home educate/home school him whilst standing up and fighting one of the most powerful governments in the world, so that my son could be and would be acknowledged as a human being with own thought, own intelligence own mind despite his rare damaged brain.

The UK government clearly did not like this or me in fact, and for the last two and half years, I faced criminal prosecution after criminal prosecution, (That's right you read correctly, CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS, I am simply a mother trying to have her son acknowledged as an equal human being) as well as countless litigation streams, meetings and failed attempts to have ‘them’ actually acknowledge my/our situation.

The list of failures is far too long to list them all, however, ‘failures’ like unlawful actions, illegal practices, abuse of powers, to name but a few as well as both  local and central government, failing to read paper work, failed to motion the law, failed to apply the law and failed to follow due legal process; judges and clerks of courts not even knowing the law/legislation let alone understanding the law or even applying it correctly, and failing to adhere to just about all human rights charters.  

My government tried in vain to quash me, belittle me, and push me over the edge; yet, by this very process, it was the found that the State (UK) that had committed crime yet had found it in the inept, corrupt, incompetent approach to charging me for it.

It would be the same as if one of you were being criminally charged because your government committed fraud. Not only did the UK government act unlawful and illegally, they abused powers, failed to apply correct laws, lied, covered up, and ultimately breach all UK legislations.

I am just a humble red headed girl with freckles, ‘somewhat’ educated and with a wealth of global life experiences to add to my belt, yet how the hell would I take on the UK?  There was only one way, simply take the UK on and play them at their own game, so I took on the machine.  The more ‘they’ stabbed me, the more I fought back.

One must understanding that when taking on the Machine one must be prepared to lose oneself; ones physical state of body, ones state of mind, ones financial status, ones job, ones family, ones friends and one’s life and just about everything else. When one accept this, then its game on. The best of all, and the best lesson of all – losing it all is one of the best freedoms ever, the strain of having ‘stuff’ weights you down. Less is truly more.

So, having lost everything fighting this machine of the UK; job, house, financial, and so called PRETEND FRIENDS, (friends who couldn’t even be bothered to reply to my messages when I asked and begged for help, their excuses were “I am too busy” – and  placing my own studies and research on hold; I turned to myself, and my late dads words, Dad: "You can achieve anything Janet, all you have to do is believe in yourself, mind over matter, if you want it enough, it's yours! Your path is awaiting, your goal is at the end, and it’s simple: JUST DO IT, plan, prep, action and do! The outcome is irrelevant, as whatever you have started will continue to pave the way for everlasting change."

So with two friends who stuck with me, and my now broken body and mind, I took to studying the specialised law, neuro-science, and psychology and just about everything else I could study.

With no more money, I had a choice, do it myself or let it go and allow my child to suffer; as no barrister, advocate, solicitor etc. wanted to help me.  They all said, it would be impossible, as the Government always wins. 

Call me arrogant, call me stubborn call me naive, but when you are the expert and when faced with every door that is closed, what have I got to loose. So, I went to the top, went through all the courts, judges, top barristers and started hounded them all, door after door after door slammed closed, no money no help, or your case is too complex we don’t have the expertise or capacity.

So I cried and faced criminal prosecution after criminal prosecution alone, because my government decided to act unlawfully.

I decided to turn to international and European law, as ultimately they supersede UK law/legislations, again door after door closed, so I went alone. To the point where I now have MGD (Meibomian Glad Dysfunction) from crying so much that I have no more tears.

So what were the chances of an international court listening to me, well I thought what the hell, what have I got too loose, so I used my past careers and got to work. I played the government at their own game, for every wrong they did, I would highlight it, and so it went on and on. It was only a matter of time before they would slip………..its law of physics really, allow someone to keep fcuking up and eventually they will hang themselves.

I submitted my Legal Bundle to the International and European courts, I literally had two weeks to complete 100 years of legal work, as with any legal case submissions one is usually tied to mitigating time frames, so I worked 23 hours a day every day, with 30 minutes for sleep and 30 minutes to sleep in a ‘bath’.  Two weeks later, I posted it special, registered and signed for mail all in one go, just to make sure it was received.  The chance of it being accepted was at least 0% let alone them getting back to me, as I had exhausted all of the UK avenues, I let it go and thought well at least I tried.  BEHOLD 3 WEEKS LATER, a case was lodged. WILLICOTTvsUK.

WILLICOTTvsUK – I literally urinated in my pants; what now I thought, how the hell???? One year later, I have just completed my Educational, Neurological and Medical research to back up my entire case bundle.  I literally have to find the time to type it all and head down to the post office so as to submit for round two with the international courts.

However last week, after their first futile attempts to criminally charge me for educating my disabled child and a year later still facing a second criminal conviction, I decided to pen another heavy litigated email pointing out all their unlawful and illegal manoeuvres they have tried to pin on me, I gave them 24 hours to either put me in jail or face the tune of damages into the 0000000’s – the very same inept idiot incompetent unprofessional who tried in vain to charge me and the very same inept incompetent idiot who said – quote “Mrs Willicott, all you care about is yourself” and “You will never get an apology from me” – wrote in his submissive undertone that the UK Government had conceded  and that all proceedings would be withdrawn.

THE UK GOVERNMENT HAD CONCEDED ......... FINALLY THEY COULD NO LONGER DESTROY ME - FOR I WAS IN FACT WAS LAWFUL, MORALLY SOUND AND A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.


I will spare you all the shit, gore and guts – it’s just too much to type as I will most certainly bore you all with the level of blatant abuse, I and my son have suffered.

Funny how I was told in my earlier years that I should simply write powerful letters to get people alerted, has come full circle, and funny how a humble girl with freckles and red hair can have such prominence, when bringing down the UK Government?


It is far from over, I have three (3) more hurdles to overcome, 1) Educational and Disability Tribunal (The Government have failed to updated a legal Education and Health Statement and for the Judge to grant my son his school, who have been waiting for him to start for the last two years) – 2) Failing that, Judicial Review is set to motion where the court case to fail 3) International Court case hearing based on my sons direct discrimination based on Equality, Disability, Education, Medical and Human Rights Laws.

4) MY DAMAGES CLAIM  

My journey is far from over; but with the international courts going to hear my son’s case and with him being the first citizen to sue the UK for SEN provision based on his rare disability - I can securely say and state; “I have done everything in my power, I have done everything I can do as a human being and everything I can do as a mother and single parent to secure a suitable future for my son as well as the rest of the UK’s citizens.

When you follow you inherent gut instinct, open your heart and STAND UP to the UNLAWFUL ACTIONS OF YOUR GOVERNMENT, Study and research all the LAWS – and more importantly can back up your claims, show truth, and can lay claim to a hypothesis, by having credible sound clinical research, as well as having an incredible son, the path is paved for CHANGE. TRULLY NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE AND EVERYTHIG ATTAINABLE.

It is not enough that my son has to live with his daily struggles to simply get by? Is it not enough that he can choke to death at any time of the day or night, is it not enough that he could die were his brain to stop functioning whist eating, is it not enough that his working memory forgets every day, is it not enough he can’t read or write, is it not enough that he has to carry out physio therapy every day just to keep his head and neck up, is it not enough in that he can’t hear in one ear, is it not enough he can’t use the toilet accordingly, is it not enough his speech is dysfluent, is it not enough he has mini absent moments, is not enough his muscle tone is poor, is it not enough that he has a heart murmur, is it not enough that he had to have full reconstructive surgery to his genitalia, is it not enough that he can’t balance, is it not enough that his brain (corpus callosum) is additionally damaged in that he can’t process neurogenically, is it not enough that he faces discrimination every day, is it not enough that he faces inequality every day, is it not enough that he disability discrimination every day, is it not enough that he has bullied and ignored, is it not enough that he has to work 1000 harder to achieve what a main stream peer could do in 5 minutes, is it not enough that he will never be able to FULLY lead a life like those inept unlawful idiots who have gone out to ruin me and destroy my son??????

Is it not enough that he has to face abuse from the very government who say they want to protect him?

BUT WHAT IS ENOUGH IS THAT BASTIAN IS FULL OF LOVE, HE NEVER STOPS TALKING, AND HE IS INTELLIGENT IN HIS OWN RIGHT, HEIS CARING, JOYFUL, RARE AND SUPER AMAZING.

TO SAY THAT MY SON REPRESETNS 1.5 BILLION PEOPLE ON EARTH IS OUTSTANDING.

TO SAY THAT MY SON HAS CHANGED THE MEDICAL WORLD FOR THE BETTER AND HISTORY MADE IN UNDERPINNING THE MOST PRECIOUS HUMAN COMIDITY CALLED THE BRAIN – IS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE.  

This whole process has come at a cost to my health, sadly, I am losing my hair, I have aged considerably in the last two years, my physical side has waned, and I have all but given up on socializing, going out and simply want to hide away. Idiot friends have got up and left, but life is better without them, idiot friends have hounded me to other interests all the while forgetting I am on my own fighting one of the hardest trails I have ever had to endure.  Mentally down, physically down, black is my new in, sadly I have to have a minor operation to remove a cancer this weekend, however In the meantime, I will keep moving forward, keep making change and paving a way for ALL PEOPLE as I am sick and bloody tired of GOVERNMENTS AND POLITICIANS DESTORYING PEOPLE AND THEIR LIVES.

WHAT EVER COMPESATION I GET AWARDED WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH TO RECLAIM MY LIFE GONE, NO AMOUT OF MONEY WILL RECALIM THESE YEARS MY SON HAS SUFFERED.

I will use that lost time to believe that I have made a change to the world.

I will eventually re-start my challenges again, ‘Running my Ultra’s, Desert Ultra Races, Polar Expeditions, and the rest however more importantly I will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in September all being well.

As you can see, despite my lack of silence over the many months, I have been buried away undertaking one of the hardest challenges/ultra of my life, I may have taken a while, but I have completed and won part 4 of 7 of my nonstop race and my record thus far is SUCESS with a gold medal.

I will resume my sport blog as soon as I have moved to my new home and settled in. For now, as in the worlds of Nelson Mandela, “Everything seems impossible until it’s done”. 

Whether you are a first time marathon runner, first time Ultra Runner, or first time Extreme Adventurer, or even if you are ‘Normal-like-me’ human, starting off with any challenge no matter how big or small, regardless of what it is, YOU HAVE TO START, YOU HAVE TO WANT TO START AND YOU HAVE TO WANT IT. YOU CANNOT ACHIEVE ANYTHING IF YOU MINDSET IS ELSE WHERE, OR IF YOU HEART IS SET ON SOMETHING ELSE.

NOTHING CHANGES IS NOTHING CHANGES, if I can take on the UK Government, anyone can.

Go out, fight for it, own it and be it, breathe it and want it. NEVER LET ANY ONE TELL YOU, YOU CANT. IF FRIENDS DISHOWN YOU – LET THEM GO, IF FAMILY LEAVE, LET THEM LEAVE.

YOUR PATH, YOUR TRAIL AND YOUR LIFE.

FIGHT ON, RUN ON AND TAKE NO SHIT and WEAR GOOD SHOES.

Forever #BlisterFree

Dedicated to my Son Bastian and to all those who fight to be heard every single day throughout the world.

Jani the Fiery Freckly Ultra Girl

#normal-like-me.org #janetwillicott #SETD5 #bastianwillicott #standup #neversurrender #standup

FIRST ULTRA FOR 2015 'OCEAN FLOOR RACE 160 MILES NON STOP - WESTERN SAHARA

So here it is my first race for the year, in less than 10 weeks.

I won’t lie, mentally my mind is on my son's schooling issues as well as his ongoing battle to live a near as 'normal' life as possible.  Not only that but the GOV.UK info on the state of Egypt.   However I have been re-assured by Egypt's most notable National Geographic Desert Expert that all is well.

To say that 2014 was both a tremendous high and a horrendous low is an understatement, however, I can only but keep optimistic that litigation and the good fight for my son goes on.  I opted to have a relationship last year but in all honestly, when idiots and manipulators only want to destroy my spirit, I am better single.... and to give those genuine hearts a chance.  Running and or shuffling as I have been doing to preserve my knee & shoulder has been hit and miss, and getting into the zone has been a struggle despite my daily routine of life and exercise.  Despite my forced 120 miles a week, my mind has been in a dark dark dark hole....... why.............. Well I am always achieving and seeing results (in any shape or form) never a moment that I don't achieve, that I often fail to see what I have gone through or achieved.  I often fail to see my achievements as I am so focused on my next resolve.  But taking the reality of my life, my son, court cases, losing my child, 3 major operations and having cancer removed, plus University, it’s a wonder I am still running and not slumped on my sofa eating 10 bags of chocolate a day.  So taking my friends advice, I do need to give myself some slack.

 

Why then am I doing another epic race when I am feeling like I do, well, being away, and I mean away, where there is nothing in the Desert, is like 356 degrees of hands on meditation; where I think of absolutely NOTHING. When I say nothing, I mean nothing. It’s almost as if someone has removed my memory.  (Think of it in terms of an old computer who's memory card has almost but given up the processing, once all the crap has been removed, it functions again). 

So why do an epic race when I am feeling like I do? "Simple, to recharge my internal memory card"

I am not competing with anyone; I am competing against myself period. I don't care who they are and or what others do, I am competing for me. It’s such a humbling experience, knowing real down to earth elite athletes, often one would think they are the most difficult, truth is they are the most real and most supportive.  I am not going to pretend I was a born a runner; I was born a swimmer, a powerful long distance swimmer, for a penchant of swimming 20 hours a day.  But when the going gets tough and the body says no more, Ultra Running/Shuffling has become my next best friend.

Talking about best friends, Hazimoo aka Hazel Robertshaw, a lovely dear lady who has had a similar life to mine, is one lady in a million, whereby we talk, share and exchange a true love for supporting each other, we can chat  for ages on the phone, or on the sofa or wherever we are.  It’s hard when your Bestie moves to another country, but it allows us the opportunity to visit each other and value real time, even better when we go on holiday. Which is in June...... can’t wait. I want to thank Hazel for her continue love and support, for there are only a handful of people who really know my life.  Giving up is not an option; I am on the 99.2% of giving up at the moment, so I have a long way to go to get into my 'normal' zone.

As for a continued and improved 2015, despite the upward battle, and being in a "black hole" I have purchased a special 'Domain' for a new venture.  It was fate that it was available. My friends nearby have been supportive too, and I can only apologise for not seeing more of them, including Martin the Fox, especially on New Year’s Eve, where I was wrapped up in stitches and having a tendon fit for only the compost veg pile.  

 

I have all the kit, just need a few bits. re: perishables, food and my much loved #Biltong, which if you ask any Saffa and or Zimbo, they will say "it's not food, but edible gold"; O and my renewed passport........But it's all in hand.

Sometimes, we have to ignore others to focus on ourselves. Being selfish is not bad, for as I always state my main maxim of life is the aeroplane analogy:

'When in an aeroplane and in distress, place oxygen on your face first, then and only then can you provide assistance to those who really need it'.  Those who know me know that I try simultaneously try and place oxygen on mine and others, this does not work; as both manoeuvres can lead to disaster. Always BE #TRUE2SELF. 

With that, let me go and eat some food, and prepare myself for another long long day.

I am and will be going through a #re-branding and as most of you can see, a name change has already taken place.  The domain will change in due course, but for now, we carry on hour by hour. Sending love to Peter my fellow #28er.

Run On and remain #true2self. #Blisterfreewishes always - Jani - aka the #FieryFreckle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Scheduling

Dear All

A lot of you have asked how do I fit it all in with my life. Here is a spreadsheet of my daily/weekly life slotted into the following:

Training all Training is highlighted in BLUE
Being a Mom
Home Maker
Being a Home School Teacher
Work Research
University Study
Life ;-)

Feel Free to copy and paste and use as a tool for your life.

#blisterfreewishes

Ultra Training Plan



Dear All

 

Please find my Training Plan attached as a picture. Copy and Paste it into your own workbooks if so desired. Its a complete programme based on my individual needs and preferences.

 

#blisterfreewishes always

 

Jani

 

 

 



Nutrition & Food Daily Diet Sample Sheet

Dear All

Below is my Dietary/Nutrition Sheet, based on my own calculation as a food scientist and having a special diet for Thrombophilia and my upside down and wonky intestines. Please use as a guide only.

    

 

 

Warm thoughts and   #blisterfreewishes

Jani
ps - New Year #Re-Branding (see my new header) #thefieryfreckle ;-)

8 MONTHS OF SILENCE ..............BUT RUNING STILL.............GEARING UP FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

Dear friends, ultra extremists, runners and crazies across the world and to all those who have sent messages..................

First of all my sincere apologies for my very delayed blog and updates, it has been somewhat eight months since I last did a blog entry, whilst I don’t have to justify myself, I do feel I owe some explanation, especially to all those who have sent messages and general enquiries over the months. 

After my rather amazing and epic first desert race, I was on an almighty high, and yes as with all things going up, eventually the emotion does come down. 

I am normally very good at containing my emotion and handling very difficult situations, however realising a dream and fulfilling it, puts one into a different paradigm altogether; at the same time, I finally dealt with the death of my unborn baby girl called Aayra who sadly died on the 1^st of January of this year, who was then delivered on the 3^rd of January.  Although I put all my reserve energy and emotion into fighting for my son whilst fundraising and getting through my Desert Run, I did put my grief on the back burner, so getting back from the desert, I was on both a high and when relived and that’s when grief took hold.

I had to go and collect her wee body shortly after I came back from the Sahara; we then held a ceremony which made somewhat of a closure in all of our lives.  Shortly after that, I went into hospital and had major surgery, which saw me taking time out to recovery, it was a big decision first of all from an emotional point of view, do go ahead with this surgery, taking into consideration my age, my thrombophilia and lupus, and loosing 6 children previously; it was I that decided that I wanted my body to rest & heal and wanted to be free from horrendous pain, and deep emotional and psychological trauma yet again. Being fortunate in having one son already was and is indeed a blessing.  

Not only the above, I had Bastian’s (my son) final diagnosis to accept and contend with as with a whirl wind media courtship.  His diagnosis was finally published in the American Journal of Medicine and Genetics in April 2014.  Although he is now diagnosed he is still on several studies being carried out by Cambridge and Oxford Universities whereby his DNA and Neuro spectrums etc. will be used and studied which will continue to enhance the medical world and all those who have since benefitted and who will continue to benefit.

Bastian in now one of six (1 of 6) in this vast world of ours with a syndrome called SETD5 (De Novo Loss) (Basically his major life building blocks which form the neurological basis of human life is damaged in other words his DNA is damaged, however even more scary, his RNA is missing) so really a gem of a child. It makes the fight and the challenges even more worth it.  I am humbled and honoured to have such a wonderful child.  It does not change life; it just makes it easier to understand him and how to implement new strategies in our every day, in order that he can have as near as a normal a life as possible.  No one will ever really know what the future will hold, however for now, his consultants say he should live to a decent age.

Anyway upon recovery from surgery, I then had to face another massive challenge (still on-going) which is the biggest challenge of my life, making and taking full responsibility of my disabled son, extreme swimming, extreme ultra endurance running, managing charities, home educating my son, university degrees, and work research projects all pail into insignificance really; whereby I have  ‘Taken on the UK Government’ seeing me going through arduous litigation and harrowing legal and court proceedings all in the name of securing a better future (education, physical, social and emotional wellbeing) for my disabled child.  This is enough to put anyone into an early grave. I can’t say much at the moment, as yesterday (19^th December 2014) I submitted my last set of litigation documents, and am now awaiting decisions from the Government Panel.  However I suspect the fight is far far from over, in the interim I have secured the media, press, specialist journalists and political parties at the ready, all of whom are all lobbing on my behalf.

As I am currently home schooling/educating my son, my time is now even more limited than before, and by the time I have been a mom, housekeeper, research student, teacher, and have taken my training into the equation, I am shattered.

I was due to partake in ‘Race to the Stones’ (100) in June, but sadly had to pull out due to shoulder pain and University Submissions, anyone who has ever been to University can vouch for me here, as these deadlines can be the cause of even more grey hairs.  I have to give my thanks to #MDX #Middlesex University who have been absolutely wonderful in supporting me throughout my hectic year. I however just about managed to pull through my 22 mile swim for Aspire over two day seeing it done in 12 hours in total.

Apart from this, I then went onto have my right shoulder replaced and repaired in October, and now feel just about fit and rearing to go.  (See training plans in next blog) Although I have to say my Lupus is a bit flary at the moment, feeling it in my spine, I can only think that stress is one of the major contributors for this. Besides this, I also took time out in Greece, where I took my son to see his dad, whom he has not seen in a years.

So that is 8 months in a nut shell….. Seems so easy to pen down in a few words, but, standing before judges delivering my case, will be my highlight of the year, whereby the judge told the Government they needed to get their act together. Although 8 months of hell, in reality, it has taken a toll on my life all round. Were it not for venting through running and planning my next challenges, I would have jumped upon Satellite and joined it in orbit towards the P67 Asteroid.  Your messages have been wonderful and I can only say, bring on the next 5 years of adventures raising awareness for my causes and being able to raise the bar in mental and physical attitude.  

I was thinking of changing my meme to VintageUltraRunnerWillicott….. But will stick with virgin as I like be young and fresh, despite the grey hairs hiding under the flaming curls.

Before I head off for today, I will blog tonight about my 5 year Ultra Challenge Plan and my strategies for all of them.  Stay peeled, some are really exciting. Going from one extreme to the other….. exciting times ahead, new sponsors, new challenges and hopefully a new frame of mind. The mind is ready; the body will tag along ;-).

Having just given another speech and presentation this past week, my charitable work is coming flowing in, and what with my next challenges stacking up, I will look forward to sharing them with you whilst at the same time, raising awareness and funds for those charitable causes so dear to my heart.

With #blisterfreewishes always

Jani 

#UltraMarathonVirgin