‘I’m still surprising myself in so many ways’
26-year-old Gemma Schiebe from Brecon signed up to the challenge confused and unsettled at the start of lockdown. ‘I had no idea it would be so monumental in my personal growth’ she says.
ISIGNED UP AFTER BEING sent home from work confused and unsettled, struggling not to feel lost and a bit stuck. The idea of not being able to fuel my wanderlust filled me with dread, so signing up gave me something to focus on – but I had no idea it would be so monumental!
I’ve never considered myself to be a hiker, until now. At the start, due to travel restrictions I was only able to explore within five miles of my house. Rather than feeling trapped, this challenge encouraged me to download my first OS maps, follow routes around public footpaths, fight my way through overgrown hedgerows, brambles and bracken and find out exactly what I had been overlooking locally and I loved every second of it. It was the start of an incredible journey that would see me getting fitter than ever, pushing myself further than ever before, growing in confidence, realising my capabilities and most importantly appreciating and loving myself.
Hiking solo is something that took me a while to get used to – I had to work on believing in myself and realising just how capable I was but once I did, it was a real eye opener. You’re no longer limited by having to find someone to walk with you or travel with you, every decision you make is on your terms and it’s so liberating. Short walks at the beginning have now turned into 20-mile hikes usually incorporating mountains and a bit of a scramble up rocks or steep peaks if I’m feeling really capable. I’m still surprising myself in so many ways. It is a wonderful feeling, seeing how far you have come, how much less out of breath you are, how much further you want to walk, how much more adventurous you want to be and how much
I’ve never considered myself to be a hiker, until now
fitter, stronger and healthier you are for doing it.
When I look back at where I started with #walk1000miles I can honestly hardly believe I am looking at the same person – not only in a physical sense but in a mental and emotional sense too. I’ve lost almost three stone, gained so much strength both mentally and physically and I’m more confident than I’ve ever been. So many more adventures feel possible to me now. I feel like the world has really opened up and
I need to see more of it. I’m sure that this is only the start for me and now I’m looking forward to seeing more of the world and achieving some solo travel dreams that no longer seem so far away.
I now have so many happy walking memories – the sense of achievement of getting to the top, reaching a hidden trig point or beating a personal best never gets old. One of my most memorable walks includes hiking Pen y Fan under the cover of darkness on a clear night, feeling like the whole galaxy was visible just for me and climbing to catch the sunrise. Physically seeing a new day begin, feeling the warmth of the morning sun on your face against the bite of the cold wind is indescribable. It’s an early start but so worth it.
Walking allows me to think, de-stress and I can face problems a lot more easily after mulling them over on a hike. Being part of the #walk1000miles community is amazing, seeing so many other people going on hikes all over the world is so inspiring.
If you’re wondering if you should do it, just start. Sign up to #walk 1000 miles, set yourself the challenge and achieve it. I promise it will be a starting point for bigger and better things for you. Everyone is so much more capable than they think. This challenge really helped me adapt my mindset and it changed how I view myself and the world, I hope you can find the same.”