43 Hefty Heffner

BY VANESSA PAPAS REAL LIFE PEOPLE HAS HEART A LIFT WHEN YOU’VE Hit Rock Bottom

THE good thing about hitting rock bottom is that there’s only one way left to go and that’s up!

SOMETIMES 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

believed to be two to three times higher. The main cause of death is altitude sickness. Still, Taryn-Lee arrived in Tanzania excited and ready for the challenge. “The first night we needed to get all our things ready as we were already starting our climb the following day. We met our guide Charlie, who had been climbing Kilimanjaro for 10 years. He took us to the entrance of Kilimanjaro, where we met our porters. The amazing thing about Kilimanjaro is that we were going to hike through all five ecosystems of the world. The first day we climbed through the rainforest – eight hours, 10.8-kilometres and 21 000 steps, all uphill. Fluish from the previous week, my body was tired and my mind exhausted but I pushed on. By day five we had finally reached base camp. It wasn’t long after that that my body just crumbled – five metres from Stella point, the second highest point in Africa at 5 500m. I wanted to push on but I knew the risk was just too great. I made a decision: I turned back. It took me another four hours to get back to the camp and then hike back down for another three hours.” Lying in her tent, crying until she couldn’t breathe, Taryn-Lee read a quote from a dear friend who wrote her a letter to take with on the journey. “We learn more from our failures than our successes,” it read in part. “In that moment, those words rang so true for me. Failure is an enlightening and sobering experience. We hear a lot that failure isn’t an option but sometimes failure may be the best option. However, we need to learn from those failures and face them not hide away from them.” After failing Kilimanjaro, Taryn-Lee realised her own mental health was taking strain and she felt she had let down a few of her supporters, so she started the Rock Bottom Project. “The Rock Bottom Project is a day where we get speakers to give great tips and expert advice on mental health and wellbeing, then all attendees are given river pebbles and they paint messages of hope on them for those who have hit rock bottom and need a boost,” she explains. “We then place these rocks in open public spaces for the public to pick up if they need it or to place their own rocks down for others, giving them a sense of community and giving back,” explains Taryn-Lee. “Last year was the first year the project went national and was hosted in rural communities. It’s made a huge impact and I only have my mom and Kilimanjaro to thank for it. Kilimanjaro taught me many lessons but the greatest of those was that you determine your altitude; you are the only one in control of your life. You are valuable, powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in this world.” The aim of the Rock Bottom Project is to encourage people in need to reach out to a message of encouragement on the rocks

PAY IT FORWARD 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.

REAL LIFE

Archie

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MNANDI NEWS BY JACQUI THOMPSON

WANT to say thank you? Got something positive to say about someone? Has a stranger done a good deed for you? Have you received outstanding service from a place or a person? We want to know about it. No kind deed should go unacknowledged. E-mail mnandinews@gmail.com or sms the word ‘Mnandi’ to 48408. Keep your message to about 50 words and include your name or pseudonym and area.

THANK to Itumeleng from Telkom Customer Services who sorted out our home phone issues on the same day. Maybe the excellent speedy service was because so few people have landlines now, but either way we are very appreciative of her help. Phillipa Munroe, Paarl

Marley Ruca THIS past festive season really brough tears to my eyes when I saw so many people give up their own time to help others and keep the spirit of Christmas alive by personifying what Christ stands for. We ran a pop-up soup kitchen in an economically depressed area experiencing abject poverty. It was our first time to try this

Peeps Of The Week

SEND only one pic to dearpeople@caxton.co.za with your name and a cap� on, and put the photo category in the subject line and we will feature you in people magazine.

My beautiful princesses: Much love. Ma and Divi

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and I was very touched by the donations that flooded in when we asked for help. Thank yous must also go to the people who gave up time to volunteer. We are just a small group who decided to do this and we will do it again. Lorna’s Ladies Who Make Lunch , Pimville

ON our way back from holiday we went through the toll plaza at Trichardt. Imagine how surprised we were to be told that the car in front of us had paid our fee! We will definitely do the same thing for someone else as it was a small act of generosity that we won’t ever forget because it was so unexpected. Thank you, whoever you are! Aldrí Deventer, Swaziland

I LOVED reading about the big-hearted police woman based at the Groot-Brakrivier Police Station, Constable Laurianne Botha, who selflessly provided toys for the poor kids in her constituency. I salute your kindness! Shereen Muller, Mossel Bay

PLEASE buy a newspaper from your local traffic light vendors. I have a guy I support and I get a huge smile every morning along with my paper. In buying from him I get a lot more than just a newspaper and it keeps him employed. M , Johannesburg Fuller

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Pet Of The Week WE’RE sharing our favourite pet pictures with you every week! Send us a caption and your picture to gabrielleo@caxton.co.za.