Heartbeat: Ain’t no mountain high enough
October 23, 2020
On 23 September Julie Thompson, Group Director of Nursing, Medicine and Emergency Care set off on a charitable climb with her team that saw them scale new heights for a cause very close to their hearts.
The medicine and emergency care matrons decided to take on the challenge of climbing Mount Snowden to help raise funds for colleagues in recognition of their commitment during the COVID-19 surge. Julie explained: “The teams gave so much to patients at what was a very demanding time and we wanted to give something back to them as a management team.
“This was a significant challenge as the majority of the matrons had never embarked upon anything like this before; some have never been on a long walk, let alone a climb up a mountain. Everyone trained before the climb to make sure they were up to it. Some of the team had to buy walking boots and suitable clothing, but once that was all sorted we were ready for our adventure. Two matrons even went on a visit ahead of the climb for a trial run to get a feel for the terrain.”
Alarms were set early on the day of the climb itself, and the minibus departed City Hospital at 6 am prompt. As the song goes ‘the wheels on the bus go round and round’ and three hours later the team arrived at their destination. Filled with anticipation and excitement, they set off on their very personal charity challenge.
The matrons set off down the country road as they made their way towards the highest mountain in Wales. Set at 1,085 metres above sea level and located in Snowdonia National Park it offers stunning views both from the bottom and the top. Julie remarked: “It was breathtakingly beautiful and a little bit daunting all at the same time. We knew what we had committed to so we set off for the summit. As first-time climbers, we took the Llanberis Path as it was the most gradual route to the top.”
Eight hours after beginning their climb the team reached the peak and saw for themselves the stunning views of Snowdonia. “It was all worth it,” said Julie. “This was a unique experience and, we were under no illusions as to how much it would test us, but with the support of each other we saw it through and I’m glad we did. Aside from the fundraising element, another thing we wanted to focus on was team building. We work closely together, and we wanted to strengthen our already tight bonds by doing something outside of work as a team.
“I must say a huge well done to all of the matrons who took part. Steph Coates, Jody Stubbs, Sam Waldren, Helen Mallard, Antoinette Cummings, Annabel Botterill, Michael Brennan, Helen McGivney and Deb Fretwell – thank you for your dedication and such a memorable day.”