My name is Jordan and I am one of the 20 people who are aiming to climb Kilimanjaro in October.
In December 2018 my father took his own life. An event that changed everything. Be it luck or fate StrongMen appeared on my radar within a couple of months of his passing via my aunty. I didn't expect to find anything that could really help with my circumstance, but reached out more to show willing to the people who cared about me.
This is how I found myself driving to wales, on my own, to meet a random bunch of blokes to climb an oversized hill. Safe to say there was more than a little trepidation, and more than once did I try to talk myself out of it and turn around. However what I found was at the end of the road, instead of therapists and notepads, was men and experiences. A welcoming warmth. Different people at different stages of journeys that weren't too dissimilar. We weren't forced to talk about anything, or asked to divulge why we were there.
We were all accepted.
All with the same goal.
All given the same task.
To climb a mountain.
Obviously, it's not too hard to link analogies with overcoming personal struggle or obstacles we find in our way, and the act of climbing a mountain. To be faced with difficult terrain. To climb together, helping each other along the way perfectly encapsulates life to me. Not to mention, whether heaving weary limbs or getting lost gazing upon peaky vistas, you tend to forget about the walls you've built, and find extra time to speak or listen with a real intent with people who just 'get it'.
Since then, StrongMen has grown exponentially yet the goal remains the same. To connect and rebuild through adventure and holistic physical wellness. Be it navigation, survival, nutrition, breath work or even archery. The opportunities I have been exposed to have been amazing and you can see why the demand exceeds the current supply. The hope is with the money we raise climbing Kilimanjaro that supply will be able to enable everyone who seeks the help to get it.
