I have often lived my life based on this principle and it has certainly added a vibrancy and colour that once prompted a family friend to urge me to write a book and call it 'A Colourful Life'... A nice idea Mark but there are still many more songs left in me yet?
In early 2011 I decided to draw up 'My Bucket' list and set myself a series of challenges that I wanted to achieve by the time I was '50'. It is my hope that by completing these challenges this will not only further enhance my life and those around me but also those many individuals and families that lead extraordinary lives as a result of fighting cancer or a terminal illness.
My aim for Part One of 'My Bucket List' is to raise over £1million pounds by the summer of 2015, for the four leading cancer centres in the UK; The Christie Charitable Fund, The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity and Together for Short Lives, the UK charity that supports young people living with terminal or life threatening illness.
I have written more about why I have chosen to support these charities in the 'My Charities' section of my blog.
Part One of 'My Bucket List' starts with my solo swim of the English Channel on the 28th August 2013 the 21 mile stretch of water that separates England and France. To swim the channel is the most iconic swim to tackle in the world known as the 'Everest of Swimming'.
What triggered me to swim the channel? Driving to Dover everyday seeing the French coastline (on a good day) and saying I could swim that, coupled with being inspired by the 'aptitude and attitude' of the many young unemployed people that I was working with in the town who wanted to change their lives despite the many difficult challenges they faced.
It also didn't help that my work colleague, Tanya Harding, turned out to be part of the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation www.cspf.co.uk and is now my cross channel swimming coach!! ( I have a lot to thank her for?).
By the time I swim in 2013, I want to have reached my 1st stage fund raising target of £600,000. Please refer to my blog - How You Can Donate
In the spring of 2015 I will then be attempting a continuous traverse over all 284 of Scotland's 3000 ft mountains, The Munro's.
Like many before me I fell in love with the wonderful landscape of the Scottish Highlands as a place that infuses my spirit and revitalises my senses, I hope one day to settle there with my partner and of course the dogs!
By the summer of 2015 I want to have achieved the final challenge of Part One of 'My Bucket List' which was to have met or networked with a million people and raised over £1million pounds for my nominated charities.
All I ask is for you to kindly donate £1.00 or more and invite your network of friends, family and colleagues to help me achieve the target - it can be done!
Part Two of 'My Bucket List' will commence in the Spring of 2016 with the running of the Marathon des Sables (subject to acceptance) the 6 day/151 mile endurance race across the Sahara desert in Morocco.
Beyond this and subject to planning and feasibility (after all I still need to work) I have aspirations to embark on a continuous cycle around the coastline of Britain that I hope will lead me onto a undertaking a full distance expedition to the North Pole!
I have yet to decide fully on the number of charities that I will be supporting in Part Two but it will include the British Heart Foundation - this ones for Oz.
I'm Mr Green, I do hope you will share with me my journey and adventure, your support will be invaluable not only to me but it will help keep families where they belong, together for longer .
No comments:
Post a Comment