Hello everyone

I want to take this time to wish each and everyone of you a very Happy New Year - I wish for you the very best of Health, Wealth and Happiness in 2013.

Thank you everyone who takes time to read the blog, to tell your friends and family about it and especially to everyone who has supported War on Cancer in anyway they could. From all the generous donations of prizes for the tombola, to helping out at the random car washes we've held. To Mike the landlord of The Sun Inn at Cottingley who donates his car park and water to us for the car washes.

Thank you to all my die hard supporters who agree to do any crazy idea I come up with! and of course to all of you who sponsor and buy at the events. Without you all, this blog and fund-raising wouldn't be half as much fun! I look forward to seeing you at the 2013 events and hope we have as much fun as in 2012!

As you know, the 2013 sponsored endurance event has been announced - climbing Ben Nevis....I'm ecstatic  to say we are already into double figures with people signing up for it.....I can say if it goes like this years on the 2013 challenge will be a massive success. I hope to see not only this years entrants, but lots of new ones too....if there are new faces, it means War on Cancer is going the right way!

I am looking into a charity Zumba event....will let you know as soon as, time and venue to follow if I can get one sorted. Also for next winter - I will try again to cajole you into an indoor wall climbing adventure -- to be part of a team who climb the equivalent height of a chosen mountain, now that's something different!

I said I would look into a fun weekend for WoC's avid supporters...a weekend of white water rafting and maybe a mini highland games thrown in to boot! This will not be a fund-raiser, just like minded people getting together to chill, catch up and let their hair down. I will let you know when I've costed the weekend out.

Well that's it from War on Cancer and myself for 2012....I hope you've enjoyed your time here with me and I look forward to moving through 2013 with you. I hope you've all managed to get something positive from the blog, I write it with great openness and honesty and hope I show that no matter what we go through as individuals, we can always strive to better ourselves and always help others.

I want to say a big well done to all those who have gone through treatments this year, major congratulations to those who have been given the all clear, keep going to those who are still having treatments and you can do it to those about to start. And always in our memories and heart the brave ones who fought to the end but didn't make it....each and everyone of you are hero's for fighting the fight, well you are to me and will always be.

Keep helping yourselves everyone, get out exercising and eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables....we know how much I go on...but seriously we only get one body, help it to fight off illnesses and medical conditions wherever you can, it's been proven to help.

I hope you can find the time to share the blog with your friends and family, to help me raise awareness about cancer and hopefully help break down this still very taboo subject for those who are struggling with it.

Thank you for sharing some of your time with me in 2012 and I hope to see you around in 2013.

Until next time
Tracy

Follow War on Cancer on Bloglovin!

Hello everyone

You can now follow War on Cancer on Bloglovin!...go to www.bloglovin.com and search War on Cancer and hit the follow button or hit the follow button on the left hand side of the home page....this way you get notified of any updates. I hope you decide to come join me and recommend the blog to your friends over on this fantastic blog site!

Until Next time
Tracy

Ben Nevis snippets

You can now follow the blog on Bloglovin.....there is a link on the left hand side of the home page!

Here's a little more information about Ben Nevis for you....I will keep adding snippets for you. If you want to come join and do the 2013 sponsored challenge add your name to the comments on the 2013 challenge tab or contact me.....there are plenty of places to stay in and around Fort William while climbing Ben Nevis to cater to all tastes.

Ben Nevis, or 'The Ben' as it is fondly known, sits majestically at the head of Loch Linnhe, its presence dominating the landscape from all corners of Fort William and some parts of Lochaber. The dramatic effect of Ben Nevis is emphasised by the fact that it begins its rise from sea-level. From the coast, it rises like a huge whale-back shape. This ends abruptly in 2000 ft cliffs to its north-east. This two-faced form of the Ben is what makes it so popular, providing steep but straightforward walking on paths on one side and challenging climbing on the other.

So until next time

Tracy

Ben Nevis - 2013 Endurance Sponsored Challenge

Ben Nevis translated from Gaelic means " Mountain of Heaven" it stands at 4408ft. Ben Nevis or "The Ben" as it is more commonly known is in actual fact an ancient huge volcano that would have been comparative to  the explosion of Krakatoa in 1883.

The first recorded ascent was in 1771 and in 1883 a footpath and observatory were built all thanks to Clement Linley Wragge. According to the records from the observatory between 1883 - 1904, fog was present almost 80% of the time at the summit between Nov & Jan, 55% of the time between May & June. The ave winter temp was -5c and the mean monthly temp for the year was -0.5c. In an ave year it the summit sees 261 gales and receives 4,350mm's of rain ( 171 in ) - the rainfall in winter is almost twice as high than that of spring and summer.

Clement Linley Wragge climbed The Ben daily to make observations leading to the opening of the observatory in 1883, this remained manned until it's closer in 1904.It is still the most comprehensive set of data on mountain weather in Britain.

So the weather will probably not be perfect on our ascent to the summit, but I know we will take out climb in great humour and with solid determination to reach the summit no matter what. I will post more facts and information regarding "The Ben" and War on Cancer's sponsored challenge 2013 over the coming months.

I hope to see many of you coming along to take up the challenge in War on Cancer's name, and getting yourselves the superb satisfaction of knowing you've conquered Britian's highest mountain along the way.

Based on the first annual challenge that was undertaken this year, a superb weekend it will be!

Until next time
Tracy

2013 Sponsored Endurance Challenge Announcement

Hello Everyone

So War on Cancer's sponsored endurance challenge of 2013 is -- climbing Ben Nevis! This challenge will take place on Saturday June 8th 2013. More details to follow.

 Anyone wanting to take up the challenge will have to pledge to a minimum amount of sponsorship raised. I of course hope that it will be greater than the minimum, but feel it is important to show a commitment to War on Cancer and the cancer charities it supports. War on Cancer will continue to support it's current chosen charities until after my Mount Kilimanjaro climb which unfortunately had to be delayed from 2012 to 2013  due to ongoing health issues.

I hope to see the regular supporters taking up this event, and hope that from your enthusiastic recounting of this years Yorkshire 3 Peak challenge that you have in inspired your friends and colleagues to think about taking up our new challenge. The  Yorkshire 3 Peak challenge was such a huge success, not only from the money raised, but the raised awareness of War on Cancer and cancer in general got a great boost from our first annual endurance event! I cannot thank enough the wonderful people who took part and made it such a memorable day.

I hope this new challenge is taken up by even more people, who doesn't want to say they've stood at the summit of Ben Nevis and the highest point of Great Britain?!!! Again this is a great way to motivate yourselves into getting some training in, I always hark on about the fact exercise is great for you and your body, it really is proven to help prevent certain types of cancer. So even if this new challenge isn't for you -- get out and exercise your one and only body!!

After another disappointing year on the health front for myself this year, and the disappointment of having to delay Mt.Kilimanjaro - one of the first challenges I set myself while still having my invasive treatments, I have re-set my challenges for 2013 and will try drive myself to achieve them as always ( it's never my lack of motivation and determination that stops me from successfully completing any challenges, that's for sure!! )

So my personal year of challenges will start with the Ben Nevis climb challenge on Saturday June 8th, this will be a great practice for Mt. Kilimanjaro in the Sept/Oct ( dates to be confirmed )which I can happily say my big brother is coming to do with me! And then finally in Nov myself and a few great friends and a couple of family members are going if we can get places power walk the New York marathon! - this will be for Walk the Walk uniting against breat cancer again. I already have a theme planned, and will tell you all about it once our places are confirmed!

I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who has supported War on Cancer this year - thank you to all of you who have donated gifts for the tombola's, who have sponsored someone in the events have helped WoC raise awareness which is has important has raising money, helped encourage people to get out exercising and especially those of you who couldn't make the cocktail events which meant I HAD  to drink one or three for you all!!

I want to thank each and everyone of you for your unwaivering support of me and of course this blog WoC - without all of you none of this would be possible and I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you enable me to make my dreams of raising money and awareness a reality. Your support allows me to think of things we can all do together, to keep fund-raising fun for all of us.

A big thank you goes to our new friends Lost Earth Adventures and the owners Richard and Sarah, you helped make the 3 Peak adventure fun while being safe. I very much look forward to our future collaborations!

Please share the blog with , friends, family and work colleagues - help me get more supporters in 2013 who will happily spread the word. I will do a complete update of the blog over the holiday period.

Anyone know of someone/ a business who'd like to sponsor or adopt WoC for a year, please get in contact...hell if they don't want to sponsor WoC - I'm available ;)

Until next time
Tracy