Two care homes refurbished after Adventure Boot Camp raises R100 000
During the month of October this year the Adventure Boot Camp showed their support for breast cancer by raising just over R100 000 for the refurbishing of the Eikehof Care Home in Cape Town and the Keurboom Care Home in Gauteng that provide accommodation, meals and transport to out-of-town cancer patients while they are receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Adventure Boot Camp makes it their business to care about women's health and well-being with their outdoor fitness programmes across South Africa. Donating to this very important fundraiser meant the two interim homes would better be able to continue acting as a lifeline for patients and their families and eliminate travelling far distances for treatment and provides them with the nourishment they need to overcome this disease on both a natural and mental level through additional services like reflexology, yoga and meditation.
Adventure Boot Campers were given the choice to donate R10 on camp registration, and for every 'like' the Adventure Boot Camp South Africa Facebook page received, R2 was donated to the fund. A Kempton Park camper, Cindy Britz, took it one step further by taking the idea back to her workplace at Remax and together with ABC went on to raise a whopping R41 000.
Major mental and physical challenge
One Adventure Boot Camper who battled breast cancer is 35 year old Tania Hartman. After a bilateral mastectomy and seven months of chemotherapy, she has survived the worst. This was a major mental and physical challenge - one she never intended on experiencing. Halfway through chemotherapy, she realised cancer had taken control of her life, both mentally and physically, and she decided it was time to take it back. She began to plan a climb up Kilimanjaro; she wanted to achieve something that was as challenging as cancer and chemo, but it was her choice this time.
She used Adventure Boot Camp as a way to regain her fitness. "It was hard work, but it was worth every drop of sweat. Adventure Boot Camp helped give wings to my dream." According to Hartman, training in a women only environment is a major motivator - you work harder than training in a gym by yourself, but the best part is the friendships you make along the way.
Mobile breast units
"Since surviving cancer I have come to know I'm more stubborn and stronger than I realised. Besides climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, I have rafted the Zambezi, swung from a 110m high wire gorge and rode an elephant's back, and this is only the beginning. My big plan is to climb Aconcagua in the Andes; it's a climb in aid of breast cancer awareness. My aim for this is to raise money for mobile breast units, so it is easier for women without medical aid to receive mammograms and education on self-examination," says Hartman.
She advises women of all ages to trust their gut; their bodies will tell them when something is wrong, and always conduct regular examinations. "For those fellow women who are experiencing chemotherapy - I know it's a difficult process and you often feel like quitting, but remember those few months of suffering are going to add years to your life. Never give up hope, pray often and love yourself."
