Highs and lows of charity challenge
MOUNTAIN queen Jenny Damon could have been forgiven for backing out of her pledge to run up Walsh’s Pyramid as many times as possible in 24 hours for charity last week.
The highest freestanding natural pyramid in the world, located just south of Cairns is a daunting task at the best of times.
But as water cascaded down the exposed rocks along the northeastern face of the Pyramid last Saturday, Damon trudged up the hill, determined to stay true to her word.
“The worst part of it all was seeing a snake,” the Main Roads transport planner said laughing.
“After you’ve seen one, you think everything is a snake. But it was OK. They were just little pythons.”
Damon had trained for months with a goal of completing 10 full trips up and down the 922m tall peak for charity.
Instead, the Port Douglas marathon winner reached a total of seven in around 20 hours, opting to stop just after 5am on Sunday.
“That’s when we called it,” said Fiona Sharp, a member of Damon’s support team.
“She was fuzzy in the head. She knew she couldn’t get up there again.”
The experienced runner said the challenging conditions took their toll on her mind more than her body.
“It was so slippery and rough. Mentally, I was really fatigued by the end of it,” Damon said.
“I could have gone up for another lap but I didn’t want the SES having to chopper me off. When I came down the hill I was pretty disappointed because I wanted to get at least eight (laps) done.
“I was surprised how well my body had held up. I didn’t have any real pain except for cramping in my feet. I didn’t have any blisters, just a few bruises from bashing into rocks.
“But I knew my brain was losing concentration towards the end. My head was just exhausted.”
It’s the second time Damon has run the “Pyramid Challenge”, as she calls it, for charity. The first time, in 2016, she conquered the peak five times, raising more than $1000 for Destiny Rescue, a charity that saves children from sexual exploitation and slavery in third world countries.
Staying hydrated and eating regularly throughout the challenge was important.
“I had a weak electrolyte mix in my running pack and I’d eat a muesli bar each time I reached the top,” Damon said.
“Then, at the bottom, I’d have half a banana, half a sandwich and a little bit of Coke. The most important thing is eating often but not having too much.”
Sharp, who met Damon playing in the AFL Cairns competition, said helping her friend up and down the 4.2km track was about being supportive but also rational.
“I think Jenny did an amazing job under the she said.
“We were there each time she came down, giving her moral support.
“During the night, I’d catch her at the bottom, then go home and have a nap for an hour, then come back again.
“I’ve known Jenny for a long time. We’ve had lots of conversations about the types of support people she likes to have around when she’s competing in an event.
“She doesn’t need someone who’ll see her at weakest and tell her to stop.
“Even though she’s tired you can talk to her, reason with her and have a conversation.”
Damon said failing to reach her goal had only made her more determined to challenge herself again.
“I will have a crack at 10 again in the near future but I think I’ll pick a better day for it next time,” she said.
Damon has already raised $1500 for Destiny Rescue but said she’d like to double that amount in the coming weeks. circumstances,” dictates performance.”
Here are two ways I’ve found help to shape your own environment and your performance, rather than have it shape you.
1. Put yourself into physically demanding environments, situations, or communities.
Competing in powerlifting, a triathlon, Jiu-Jitsu, surfing, or whatever, will result in a stronger, more resilient, and confident you. You’ll find you are capable of so much more than you ever thought.
2. Change your inner environment. Your inner voice has a tone, direction and loudness. What it says is crucial too if there are no environmental demands. Some people do their best when they imagine their nay-sayers, resulting in an “I’ll show you” attitude.
And remember, just because you cannot “now”, doesn’t mean you cannot “ever”.
I’ve witnessed dozens of athletes who’ve transformed themselves in relatively few years.
CHANGE YOUR INNER ENVIRONMENT. YOUR INNER VOICE HAS A TONE, DIRECTION AND LOUDNESS.
Rob Gronbeck is a Cairnsbased performance psychology coach.