Harrogate International Centre

Pursuing a desire to go travelling Maxine Anderson from Harrogate International Centre, and mother of four, decided to combine her dream with raising money for charity. Celebrating her 40^th birthday, and along with three good friends Maxine has just returned from a ten-day trip to China where she walked the Great Wall and raised over £10,000 in the process for Martin House Hospice.

 

Maxine and her friends, nicknamed the China Dolls, began planning for the event a year ago, organising fund raising events throughout that time including the Great 'Ball'of China held in May at Wetherby Golf Course. This event alone raised £3,000.

 

Living in Knaresborough Maxine has easy access to the Castle steps and incorporated these in her training walks three times a week. This rigour paid off when Maxine was later confronted by the 'Heavenly Stairway' section of the Great Wall a series of 986 steps rising 3281ft above sea level.

 

Charity Challenge, an organisation that supports these daring fundraising activities, provided a local agent to accompany Maxine and her party throughout their experience.  Each of the six day treks was between 10 12km depending on the terrain. Starting in Black Dragon Pools National Park and overnighting in a local lodge, the trek then picks up on day two after a short drive to Miyun County northeast of Beijing. Each trek took Maxine along stony paths or up steep narrow mountainous inclines. Breathtaking landscapes, new challenges and mixing with local villagers and experiencing rural life in what seemed a completely different world, were all part of this alternate birthday celebration.

 

Maxine was awed by the dignity of the local villagers she encountered and said, "It's difficult to describe the contrasting lifestyles of Beijing and the rural districts we visited, yet the hospitality we received was humbling. I took hundreds of photos, and not two of them are repetitive. China is such a land of diversity and rich cultural history".

 

It may well be just the beginning of new adventures for Maxine, who went on to say, "It was all so worthwhile, it was the experience of a lifetime yet I was also able to contribute to such a worthy local cause as well. Charity Challenge support fundraising expeditions to other corners of the world too, such as Peru. I'm seriously thinking about it!"