Happy Moment

A very happy moment - being presented with my certificate, confirming that I summited Mount Kilimanjaro - this, together with my photo on the summit made it worthwhile!

Animals of the Serengeti

Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2007



Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2007




Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2007





Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2007

Breakfast......on Kilimanjaro

Breakfast on Kili.....not the most flattering of photos (am referring to myself, Adele, don't worry!) but considering that was taken about five days into our trek, on a cold morning I don't think its too bad :) and it gives a good idea of the small tent we lived in throughout our adventure on Kili.

Adele, who apart from being a very good friend was also my buddy on the climb, and I would be woken up by the porters early in the morning and given a very diluted tea or hot chocolate to start off the day. It was necessary for us to keep hydrated so our mugs would be checked for any remaining dregs.

The second part of the routine was our morning bath! The washing up process would see us trying to wash ourselves with luke warm water that was given to us in a small basin. Apart from trying to wash oneself in the limited space and cold, we also had to make sure that the porters wouldn't just turn up and open the tent in the most embarassing of moments!

Thankfully we never had any of those.....although we did have a near miss once ;)....and no we are not going into more detail here!

Mount Kilimanjaro

Jumbo! (meaning hello, a friendly greeting given by Tanzanians). Yes! that's me up on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the world's largest free standing mountain, standing at 19,340ft.

Ability Challenge 2006

My Team during the mountain biking event in Valberg



The above picture shows me tackling a Tibetan Bridge during the Via Ferrata - there was a 250m drop and yes I was scared!!

What made me join the 2006 Ability Challenge? Honestly? Via Ferrata! When I saw an article on The Times saying that participants would do a Via Ferrata I said to my self “ok that’s it!” without giving it any other thought as to what it involved.

So I went to RTH for the first meeting, where I met some of the prospective participants very much like what you are doing today. As soon as I set foot into the Razzett, I started to think to myself “ok, can I handle this?”

As an able bodied person with a sense of adventure I was very much up for the via ferrata and other challenging activities but in all honestly I had never had any direct contact with a person with a disability – I did not know what to do, how to approach the situation.

When you start thinking you say to yourself, how can I possibly assist someone with a disability cross a rope bridge hanging over a drop of 250 metres, when probably I, with all my adventurous spirit, be probably scared too!

However a lot of these fears were soon overcame, when we started meeting for training, getting to know all the members in the team and seeing the enthusiasm that the participants had to do this Challenge.

In my team we had Leon, a visually impaired guy with a great sense of humour, as you will probably see in the feature we will show you. Leon put himself in our hands, completely trusted us to guide him throughout the different activities and completed each and every event like everyone of us!

This is what makes the Ability Challenge special – its not just about personal satisfaction but that of helping a person with a disability enjoy the same experience as us and giving the him the possibility to say I did that – give them a boost of confidence that will give them a “can do” attitude which will help them push themselves a bit further in life!.

Robbie Williams Concert - July 2006

ouch!
bla bla bla bla bla bla bla

He's chosen my attic
I feel it in the static
He lives in my basement
And I can hardly face it
My performance is easy
I am the god of romance
And in my confusion
I have the right to reign......


No this is not me being philosophical! these are the words of Robbie William's song Radio, with which he started off his concert at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (aka San Siro) in Milan last July (22nd July 2006).

What a show! fireworks, lighting effects, great sound...... Robbie did not disappoint! He may have his personal problems but on the night he was outstanding!

What a crowd! over 60,0000 people attended - thousands, including my friend Darren and I, were already there waiting for the gates to open at 3pm in the hope of getting a good view of the stage.

I can't really describe the emotions that I felt on that night for fear of sounding like a crazy sixteen year old but boy was he good!