The Tasmanian Fire Service Conference

Chief Officer Mike Brown invited me to speak at the Tasmanian Fire Service’s state conference yesterday. The industrious Jarrod Read very kindly chauffered me up and back from Launceston, with Lottie enjoying the luxuries of electric windows and the superior view from a four wheel drive.

I was a little concerned about finding something suitable to wear - I have lost 30 kg over the past three years, and even the trousers I have had altered still tend to have baggy bum syndrome!! At least it means I'm comfortable when travelling.

We snuck into the auditorium when we arrived in Launceston a little bit after 12 noon. Despite Jarrod being worried the sessions might be boring for me, I found it quite interesting, although I was unfamiliar with some of the terminology used. It felt strange being in civvies with a room full of hundreds of people in the black and blue, but at lunch quite a few people were very friendly - introduced themselves to me and had a chat. All of the firies were very chivalrous also - opening doors and pulling out chairs for me, it was lovely.

I presented for 10 minutes immediately after lunch, and was worried about trying to get my message across in a limited amount of time. I was also concerned about how some of the firies may react to how I sustained my burns, but it was important to me to be honest and true to myself and my message about the lack of prejudice shown by the Royal Hobart Hospital Statewide Burns Unit.

My only real muck up was apologising for going over time when I wasn't - I saw that I had 2 1/2 minutes left on the timer, and for some strange reason I thought the community service announcement went for three minutes rather than 30 seconds! So I actually managed to stay within the time limit, quite an achievement for me as I usually always go over.

I hope that what I said inspires some of the volunteer brigades to do some fundraising for Climb to Recovery, or that we gain some more support walkers. It was a privilege to be invited to present.

Welcome

The official launch of Climb to Recovery is a little over a month away, and yet I have been working on it since late February. The walking itself has never been the hard part - although training early on these frosty and icy mornings we have had recently has been getting torturous...so cold; it has been harder to stay positive at times, and to keep asking people for support. I haven't had many knock backs, but often it doesn't take just one email or phone call to get assistance or a donation. So much persistence is required.

Fundraising is hard work, and it takes balls at times - to go and speak to businesses or politicians and ask them for money or help. I find it hard at times, and I am so grateful for the help of Jarrod Read from the Tasmanian Fire Service. He has managed to get some substantial donations, and I know he has had many refusals for each donation obtained. He also got many more volunteers along for the filming of the community service announcement than I was able - even though we did it on the weekend to try and make it easier for people to attend.

I am also so grateful to the volunteers that have been helping me - Sylvia and Chris, and now Keridan - and many others that have offered advice or support throughout, particularly Pene Snashall from Community Relations at the Royal Hobart Hospital. I am also very grateful to Mum and Dad for helping to feed me and Lottie - our appetites have increased dramatically with the extra walking!!!

I have been delighted by the support by many businesses though, and by how big the whole campaign seems to be getting. It is going to need to be big if we are to reach our goal of $50 000 for the Royal Hobart Hospital Statewide Burns Unit. I keep of thinking of things that are outstanding that I had hoped to have gotten more under control by now - we need more support walkers, and more businesses willing to have collection tins, and more donations of course!!!!

The website should be up this week, the community service announcement starting the week after, and the official launch on August 11. I am going to have to learn to write a press release in an awful hurry. It's great to be learning all these new skills, and I think that Climb to Recovery is going to look great on my resume - if we get the $50, 000!!!!!

My body has been finding the increase in both walking training and the time spent at the computer difficult to cope with but, conversely, there have been times that the only thing that has kept me from just throwing in the towel mentally at the decline in my arm function and the increase in pain this year has been Climb to Recovery. I am determine to see this thing through, and walk up that mountain.

This campaign is going to be a hard slog...but hopefully very worth it.