REAL LIFE PEOPLE HAS HEART BY VANESSA PAPAS
A LIFT WHEN YOU’VE
Hit Rock Bottom
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OMETIMES you need to know what it feels like to lose everything so that you can let go of what no longer serves you and start fresh. Giving up is a choice but it’s one that you don’t have to make. Two years ago Taryn-Lee Kearney – an plus-size woman – was asked by a friend if she would climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Taryn-Lee was far from athletic and fit, but she said yes anyway because the cause was close to her heart. The climb was in aid of raising mental health awareness. In just one year alone Taryn-Lee was personally affected by six suicides of family friends or their children. In addition, her mom was struggling with bipolar disorder – a diagnosis that had impacted her family tremendously. Bipolar, also known as manic-depression, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. “I wanted to show everyone that no matter your challenge, you can always come out stronger. Camping and hiking has never been in my vocabulary; I don’t even do it for fun, so this was certainly a challenge for me,” says TarynLee, who works as an industrial psychologist. “Despite being overweight, I physically and mentally prepared for the journey, but a month before leaving for Tanzania, I was struggling to find hiking clothes my size. It really was a blow to my self-esteem. A week before leaving, I found my hiking clothes in the men section in some specialised outdoor factory.” Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and takes between five to nine days to complete. The overall statistics show that less than half of all climbers reach the summit. Every year, about 1 000 people are evacuated from the mountain, and 10 deaths are reported. The actual number of deaths is
THE good thing about hitting rock bottom is that there’s only one way left to go and that’s up!
The aim of the Rock Bottom Project is to believed to be two to encourage people in need to reach out to a than our successes,” it read three times higher. The message of encouragement on the rocks in part. “In that moment, those main cause of death is words rang so true for me. altitude sickness. Still, Failure is an enlightening Taryn-Lee arrived in and sobering experience. Tanzania excited and We hear a lot that failure ready for the challenge. isn’t an option but “The first night we sometimes failure may be needed to get all our the best option. However, things ready as we we need to learn from were already starting those failures and face them not hide away from our climb the following day. We met our guide them.” Charlie, who had been climbing Kilimanjaro After failing Kilimanjaro, Taryn-Lee realised her for 10 years. He took us to the entrance of own mental health was taking strain and she felt Kilimanjaro, where we met our porters. The she had let down a few of her supporters, so she amazing thing about Kilimanjaro is that we started the Rock Bottom Project. were going to hike through all five ecosystems “The Rock Bottom Project is a day where we get of the world. The first day we climbed through speakers to give great tips and expert advice on the rainforest – eight hours, 10.8-kilometres mental health and wellbeing, then all attendees and 21 000 steps, all uphill. Fluish from the are given river pebbles and they paint messages previous week, my body was tired and my mind of hope on them for those who have hit rock exhausted but I pushed on. By day five we bottom and need a boost,” she explains. “We had finally reached base camp. It wasn’t long then place these rocks in open public spaces for after that that my body just crumbled – five the public to pick up if they need it or to place metres from Stella point, the second highest their own rocks down for others, giving them a point in Africa at 5 500m. I wanted to push on sense of community and giving back,” explains but I knew the risk was just too great. I made a Taryn-Lee. “Last year was the first year the decision: I turned back. It took me another four project went national and was hosted in rural hours to get back to the camp and then hike communities. It’s made a huge impact and I back down for another three hours.” only have my mom and Kilimanjaro to thank for Lying in her tent, crying until she couldn’t it. Kilimanjaro taught me many lessons but the breathe, Taryn-Lee read a quote from a dear greatest of those was that you determine your friend who wrote her a letter to take with on altitude; you are the only one in control of your the journey. “We learn more from our failures life. You are valuable, powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in this world.”
PAY IT FORWARD
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TARYN-LEE is appealing to readers to help break the stigma of depression. Every year, TarynLee arranges an event where people paint messages of hope for others on rocks and these rocks are left in a public area. The aim of this project is to encourage people in need to reach out to a message of encouragement on the rocks. For more information please e-mail Taryn-Lee on taryn@ahatraining.co.za.
