Job Title:
Account Manager – Flanders Belgium
Why do you want to climb Mt Kilimanjaro?
It has been a bucket list style dream for at least 25 years. The map of Mount Kili is hanging on my home office wall for at least 25 years now. .
What has been the most challenging thing about this initiative so far?
Getting in back fit and in shape and losing weight. (I lost 40 kg since November 2017). Training 4 times a week in the gym and walking takes a lot of my time. Really glad Cynthia en Arno sometimes come walking with me.
What is the most interesting thing you have learned about yourself so far?
When one gets a bit older one can do a lot but it takes more time to recover from it.
How are you raising your UNICEF funds?
By selling lottery tickets to win a flight in an Ultralight airplane. Had a really heartwarming response from friends, club members, coworkers and sold 196 tickets so far. Four more tickets and we can do the second drawing. Cynthia and I also organised a “UNICEF Chinese Hotpot Fundraising Dinner” for my birthday. Generous contributions and a lot of fun. I would not advise Chinese wine to anyone though.
If there was going to be a Kilimanjaro playlist for your climb, what song would you choose?
Definitely Africa from Toto.
What luxury are you planning on taking up the mountain with you?
An inflatable pillow.
Is there anything you are ‘dreading’?
Altitude sickness for sure and, although I’m a Belgian and should be used to it, rain. Not a shower here and there but 3 or 4 days of continuous rain. Not going to “bless the rain in Africa” if there is too much of it. Summit day and especially the long descent after the euphoria of the summit.
What are you looking forward to most?
For now, Three Peaks departure date is coming very soon, meeting the Ascenders team and the people in London who make all this magic happen. Contacts online give an idea of the Team but I’m looking forward to meet them. It would be great to see the clouds from above them while standing on Mount Kili, must really be special.
Hmmm.... #Learningonthewayup
A little UNICEF fundraising project in the making for the Maximising Margins and Managing Customers training course next friday in Paris - Belgian beers. #learningonthewayup
Going to walk 27 km today, going to be hard, not the lenght but the destination, my mother in law... annual obligatory visit.... #learningonthewayup
Yeey ! Btw Ascenders have you noticed that the ever present giraffe and a silhoutte of the Kilimanjaro is in the silver hologram #Learningonthewayup
I realllly reallllly like my local bakery #learningonthewayup
#learningonthewayup walking near Hamoir Ardennes
#learningonthewayup in Sy Ardennes
I'm walking on sunshine wooohoooh... #Learningonthewayup
Trying on gaiters for a night walk. There is no reason to wear them in flat paved Flanders. So I try them at night, looks less silly. Never wore them before, takes some getting used to putting them on. Better to do this now for the first time then on Kili. #Learningonthewayup
There will be a new moon (no moon) the 7th of december in Tanzania Arusha. First Quarter the 15th. Going to be pitch black during summit night. Tanzania sunset around 18:30 hr in december. Klimb Kili they said, it will be fun they said #Learningonthewayup
Lunch before executive team meeting #learningonthewayup #Autovista
There we go again #Learningonthewayup #Sportjoyeeklo
I'm in heaven #learningonthewayup
It's realy quiet on the bus. Amost everybody is asleep... #Learningonthewayup
Experiencing a cultural shock fries with tea ??? #Learningonthewayup
They are used to this here #learningonthewayup
Happppy on the road to Big Bad Ben #Learningonthewayup
Looks like we are not going to starve here. There an exchange here of cookies lebkuchen, sweets, chocolate... This is Pippa's rainbow cake - Great :) #Learningonthewayup
Ascenders on the way to Loch Lomond, you'll take the high road an I take the low road - or was it the other way around #Learningonthewayup
First leg of a day of traveling, to the airport. Looking forward to it like a kid on a schooltrip. #Learningonthewayup