Ken Roberts - Across Continents
Life can bring you into contact with some amazing characters and Ken is no exception. We first met on a Wilderness Medical Training course about a year ago, where Ken was preparing for an adventure of mammoth proportions. His plan was to cycle around the world. Not just cycle a few routes through a few countries, but to literally cycle around the world – starting and finishing in the UK. Preparation is everything and Ken was meticulous, even down to obtaining the specialist medical training we provide at WMT. Ken set off in September 2010 and is currently a few miles short of Mongolia. His journey aims to raise awareness and funding for ‘The Outward Bound Trust‘.
There is far too much news and information about Ken’s adventure to be told in a few short blog paragraphs and I suggest anyone wanting inspiration on a different scale should visit his website ‘acrosscontinents.org‘, where you will find regular updates.
Well done Ken – keep going!
James
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Jess had been on the waiting list to go and work with Médecins sans Frontières for a number of months when earlier this year she suddenly got a phone call advising her they had a suitable posting. Unfortunately for Jess it wasn’t counting turtles in the warm waters off the Maldives (although she would have been bored with that in no time at all), but supervising an HIV/AID’s clinic in rural Zimbabwe. What a challenge. Much of the suffering experienced by nations in Africa barely makes the UK news and it isn’t until we visit or have a close friend working in these areas that we truly appreciate some of the issues. This is no exception. Read Jess’s first letter home and look out for more. Well done Jess – an example to us all.
Click here to read a letter from Jess in Zimbabwe
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So Jess, as well as being a complete star and covering for me when I disappear off on my adventures, also goes off on some pretty amazing trips too. Last autumn Jess decided that she wanted to get some experience and understanding of the troubles in the Middle East, especially around the Israeli-Palestinian unrest. So she went off to work with Christian Peacemaker Teams. “Why!” I hear you cry. Well, Jess being Jess, is not only interested in the health aspects of travel but also in the socio-political background which is inextricably linked to wider health issues.
She had the most amazing time in an incredibly challenging situation and certainly did gain a better understanding of the difficulties faced by one of the poorest populations in the world just trying to exist. She has written a small piece about her visit and it makes for some interesting reading.
So well done Jess for having the courage to visit one of the most volatile places on the planet and gain an insight into some of the issues.
Incidentally, Jess is now working for the next 12 months in Zimbabwe for Médecins Sans Frontières and there will be another blog update soon.
PDF written by Jess in Palestine
James
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Chaired by Dame Tanni Gey-Thompson and Felicity Aston, this evening lecture will have contributors from leading adventurers, athletes, coaches and representatives from disability and inclusive organisations across the UK. Equal Adventure are an organisation who help those with diverse needs access adventure activities. The lecture will ben held at the Royal Geographical Society, London on 27th January at 7pm.
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In the autumn of 2009 one of our clinic staff, Mel, took some time out of her regular work and travelled to the African state of Benin. Here she joined with Mercy Ships to work as a ward and recovery nurse. Mercy Ships specialises in providing healthcare to some of the most impoverished countries. Mel was involved in looking after patients who had undergone major operations correcting facial deformaties and tumours, problems rarely seen in the UK. Well done Mel – a tough assignment but well worth the effort.
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