CHARITY CHALLENGE: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro | No comments:

IT'S OFFICIAL! Team Caplan are embarking on their newest and arguably toughest challenge yet, to climb MOUNT KILIMANJARO - the world's tallest free-standing mountain standing at a staggering 5895 metres (19,341 feet) tall. WHY? All for SHALVA! I'm an adrenaline-junkie and total thrill-seeker with a bucket list stretching to infinity, but, whilst I enjoy pushing myself to new limits (or heights!) it wouldn't be worth it unless I was raising money for the charity closest to my heart and making a difference, a REAL difference.





SHALVA, the Association for Mentally and Physically challenged children in Israel, is dedicated to providing quality care for children with special needs, empowering their families, and promoting social tolerance. Non-denominational and free of charge , SHALVA's programs provide care from infancy to adulthood. The organisation's advocacy initiatives, community events, and disability research continue to inspire a more inclusive society.

I visited SHALVA back in March and it was beyond inspiring to see how full of joy the children of SHALVA really are, it really is just breathtaking. As I walked through what feels like a home, not an institution, I was greeted with smiles larger than life; the children took my hand and held it with love and even treated me to an enchanting sing song. You see, it is hard to imagine what the quality of life is like when facing such difficulties, either mentally, physically or both! Yet each and every child shows this beautiful love for life, and it makes you feel a sense of regret for when we moan about such meaningless woes in our everyday lives. Life really is too short and the children of SHALVA are living proof that anyone can achieve their dreams. For more information check out the SHALVA website where you can read about Yossi's story and many others.

SHALVA has given me this burst of energy and I feel so enlightened by all that they do, in fact all of these challenges on my bucket list suddenly seem doable, because I am not talking about 'seeing the northern lights' which is right at the top, I'm talking about the challenges that push you to do things you never thought you could... I never... NO ONE ever thought I would be able to run a marathon (see post here) and guess what I almost gave up! I ran for part of the race with this amazing man, a father to a child who is part of SHALVA. We ran together for the most of 5k, and he spoke of his journey, joys and struggles of having a child with special needs. It was this man that really made me appreciate how much SHALVA do not only for the child, but also for the parent. I didn't manage to meet this man again, but I hope to re-connect one day again on another visit to Israel. You see, these extreme challenges aren't worthwhile without a cause to raise money for. Without SHALVA I'm not sure I would have had the want or need to complete such a challenge and yet I'm doing it all over again in March 2015.




In addition to this, I get to complete each challenge as part of two teams; Team SHALVA and Team Caplan. I will continue and aim to complete each challenge with my best friend and my own inspiration, my father. It really is amazing to share all these life-changing challenges the big AC (Adam Caplan aka DAD) and I don't want to stop! The feeling of pushing yourself beyond limits and discovering your mind is more powerful than ever believed is honestly life-changing - I am not only raising money for the cause close to my heart, I am also learning things about myself and growing as a person in the process, I don't want to and will not stop SO ONTO MY LATEST CHALLENGE OF CLIMBING MOUNT KILIMANJARO!!!

TEAM CAPLAN! OH YARRRR

Excited just doesn't even do it justice and this allows Team Caplan to raise A LOT, in fact £10,000 A LOT of money for SHALVA. This money will go towards the new children's centre in Jerusalem and also to research as well as bettering facilities so that more children can stay and even come from other countries around the world, allowing parents have that time to wind-down. Offering overnight stays and extensive leisure facilities, the list is endless. Hence why I am dedicating this year to training for the marathon in March and preparing myself for an emotional journey to summit.

The New SHALVA children's centre opening 2015!

If you would like to stay posted with our journey then check out our regular updates and blogs on our Team Caplan website: www.teamcaplan.co.uk

I will be vlogging in the lead up and also be keeping a vlog during my trek! :) NOT FORGETTING THE GO PRO!

All donations welcome...and if you want to join us on the summit THEN JOIN OUR TEAM!!!
Contact me for more details :)

Kisses,

 

Bea {x}

Amor caecus est | No comments:

 

Travelling in Style

 

 

"Love is Blind" is a phrase that led me into a deep trail of thought...what does this mean? I am sure it means something different to everyone. Some may see this as falling for personality and not for looks or that love may fall within a danger zone (aka falling for your best friend) where you fear too much to admit it to them or to yourself; or even that we are blind to noticing something or someone.

Whilst I can admit that I can be blind to many things especially love, I was most definitely not blind to this beautiful landscape. So barren yet riddled with history and well, whilst there's not much if NO life (hence the Dead Sea) I felt more alive than ever. Whilst my legs were screaming at me to rest, all I wanted to do was climb this gigantic mountain and explore the history that lies dormant... Call me mad, but in life all the best people are completely bonking mad, including me! Whilst we did trek across the vast landscape, we did in fact opt for the cable car ride to the top rather than the snake path as I am not sure I would have survived. Literally it looked deadly as in people have ACTUALLY died.

At the top of Mount Masada you can see right across the desert with the Dead Sea stretching on for miles; Jordan is situated on the other side of the Dead Sea, a place I hope to one day visit with the 'Lost City' in Petra being on my Bucket List of things to see. I have never been in a desert nor to the top of a mountain like we did so I loved every single second of it. My father arranged for us to be chauffeur driven around for the day by the lovely Moni, not only did he give us a private guided tour at Mount Masada, he also took us to the Dead Sea where we all enjoyed lunch and I later indulged in a bit of a spa day (post to follow).

With the scorching sun and baring desert heat, I opted for a grey wash denim skater skirt with my 'Amor cauecus est' vest top, with a Gilly Hicks bralet underneath. I picked this A-line skirt up in Oxford Street on the Sale Rail in H&M for a mere £6..winning. Issue? My hilarious if not painful sunburn that covered my legs. As you can see in many of my photo's it looks as though I am wearing high socks...all my fault due to the fact I forgot to apply suncream on the day of the Marathon. IDIOT. TBH when you are waking up at 4am (usually the time I am coming in after a night out) you aren't really thinking straight. I was so nervous about the race that this honestly didn't even cross my mind...yet I look back and laugh and think it is my mark of victory slash I am now peeling and totally regret this! Gross, tights it is!

'Amor caecus est' Vest Top - Tea and Toast for Topshop

Grey Denim Wash Skater Skirt - H&M

Navy Lace Bralet - Gilly Hicks

Leather Converse - Converse

Frilly Socks - Topshop

Sunglasses - Bvlgari

 

Bea {x}

The Sartorial Doll Goes The Distance... | No comments:

Yeah so... that happened, I totally ran my first ever marathon at the age of 20 and with my Dad..Cute!!!!! This is a much delayed and needed blog post, completely un-fashion related and in more ways a diary entry if such. On the 19th March I travelled to Israel to run one of the toughest Marathon trails in the World, with lets say around 60-70% of the course being UPHILL...literally death. With 20 degree heat, porcelain skin and the absence of suncream, I pretty much became a lobster in the space of 4 hours and well I looked like an idiot, but lets call it a mark of my victory!



Where's Bea?

 

Running 26.2 miles in the searing heat was honestly the toughest challenge I have EVER had to overcome in my life, and trust me there's been a few in the past. The gradient differential at the London Marathon is minus 36 metres (you finish 36 metres below where you start - it is effectively a downhill run), however, the Jerusalem marathon has 26 hills giving a differential gradient of 538 metres, making the Jerusalem Marathon the extreme City Marathon. WANNA TRY? The first half for me was fine until I reached 18K where I suddenly felt dizzy and unwell which lead to me hitting 'the wall' far earlier than I had ever anticipated. As disorientation and tears kicked in I felt so lost - however this was not a battle I was ever going to let myself lose. Lesson taught - Mind over Matter. At around 22k I pushed through the wall and refused to stop, as the 10K race merged, I started running faster and faster as they sprinted through the old city of Jerusalem. Much of this is a blur as you genuinely become so disorientated at times...

After hours of despair I reached the blue carpet leading up to the finish line, I hadn't looked at a clock or stopped in what felt like forever and as I reached the finish line, the clock read 4hours 18 minutes... and oh my was that the most overwhelmed I think I have ever been. I was so proud, yet shocked and just relieved that this torturous event was over. The emotions running through me exceeded what I could handle and I just couldn't stop crying! Even to this day I can't believe I did it!! I made a vow to myself that I wouldn't run another marathon, but as an hour passed I was already planning my next event, starting with the Polar half-marathon in Norway, a race in the dead of the night beneath the Northern lights - now that would be breathtakingly fabulous wouldn't it? That feeling you get when you finish, is a feeling no Chanel bag nor Valentino shoe could ever give you - it's priceless (although I did run in my Bvlgari sunglasses...staying stylish even when running a marathon)

I DID IT! I RAN MY FIRST EVER MARATHON! YAY

The best part about it? My father and I raised over £3000 for Shalva, a children's charity in Israel helping change the lives of physically and mentally challenged children. I visited Shalva the day before the marathon and saw just how amazing the home is, creating a place for mentally and physically challenged children to play and smile and love. Their passion and love for life through their difficulties is beyond inspiring and I feel blessed to have been able to raise enough money to help make more changes. When I felt like giving up, I remembered how inspirational the children of Shalva are and I know that they would never give up so why would I?

Bea {x}