Better wait than never

Last month, postie of 30 years, Jonathan Wilson, from Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre (HWDC), was meant to be returning victorious from an epic trekking adventure in Nepal.

Jonathan had planned to embark on an Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek in aid of our charity partner, Action for Children, back in October. But Covid-19 put an abrupt halt to his plans, writes Peter Kirby.

Jonathan has resumed his training, however, and now aims to leave for the Himalayas in March next year.

Along the iconic 12-day, 130km route through the beautiful Sagarmatha National Park to Base Camp, Jonathan plans to also climb the ‘Black Rock’ of ‘Kala Pattner,’ which stands at an impressive 5,644m above sea level.

Jonathan was looking forward to putting his feet up for a well-earned rest before Christmas before Covid disrupted his plans. He’s now hoping that his planned trip-of-a-lifetime isn’t pushed back again.

‘It’s the combination of the trip being put back and the disruption to my training that’s been the most frustrating part of all this,’ he said. ‘And the concern that Covid isn’t going away despite the news around the vaccines.

‘So, I’m hoping it will happen in March. I can still walk, cycle and play tennis, but the closure of swimming pools, gyms and climbing centres is pushing my training schedule closer to my departure date more than I would have liked!

‘Also, 5-a-side football has stopped, which is a great shame as it’s such good cardio training playing for an hour-and-a-half without breaks. I can get some solid miles in walking on Sundays though, which helps towards keeping a certain momentum going.

‘I’ve wanted to do the EBC trek for ages. I'm also passionate about making life better for the disadvantaged youngsters that Action for Children helps, having personally experienced some challenging moments when I was younger.

‘If care and support for young people and their families isn't there when needed, the basis for a normal and stable life is lacking. This EBC trek in support of Action for Children will hopefully raise some much-needed funds.’

If you would like to help Jonathan reach his fundraising total for Action for Children, you can visit his Sponsor Me page here.