Lets Go Champ – Lets Win Today
Blog Post 3
Briuay Le Bruissierre (Thursday 27th June) to Reims (Tuesday 9th July)
Hi Everone,
Welcome to my third blog post from my epic pilgrim 2200km walk from Canterbury to Rome, The Via Francigena (VF) in aid of
Mayo Parkinson’s Association
And
Children’s Health Foundation Crumlin
I am writing this blog on Tuesday 9th July from the beautiful city of Reims in France after arriving here yesterday afternoon.
I want to start of this latest blog post by extending my deepest condolences to the families and friends of Aisling Moore and her young daughter Abigael who were so tragically taken too soon in a car accident back home last week. May they both rest peacefully together in the arms of the angels.
It has been a couple of weeks since I have posted on the blog and I hope you are all keeping safe and well. Thank you as always for tuning in and following my journey. I post small updates daily on my social media channels for anyone that is interested in following me there.
Reaching Reims has been a huge milestone for me. I wanted to get here by today and be able to take today Tuesday 9th July off and enjoy this beautiful city. My short visit here has completely revitalised my spirits and I didn’t realise the extent I needed this until now and I have felt the huge benefits of it..
Yesterday morning Monday 8th was the hardest and most difficult morning yet. I had been experiencing a pain in my left shin for a couple of days and woke up in the small quiet village of Hermonville sore, pissed off and in bad bad humour. I knew immediately I needed to face these emotions head on and deal with them before I continued on.
Gerry Hussey is a leading Irish high performance coach who I follow closely online. He was by chance hosting a live webinar online early on Monday morning and as I was stewing in my negativity I decided to tune in.
The first thing he said was That every morning we have a chance to begin again and the choice we have right now is to take it or not.
This resonated on so many levels with me immediately and I realised as I got up to meet this Monday the challenge in my head was how was I going to meet it and deal with it. I tuned in more to what Gerry was stressing and he was underlining the power of positive mantras and affirmations. I grabbed on to this technique and used the 2 mantras in my head and mind over the course of the morning to get me up and at it so I could reach my important destination of Reims that day.
It became all about just get to Reims and the mantra I fixed on were
Lets Go Champ
And
Lets Win Today
I got to Reims and immediately began to feel a sense of victory and relaxation. I was able to pause and reflect on the win I achieved that day and the importance in my mind of being here. I felt a sense of calm and hope by visiting the beautiful cathedral of Reims and really built up my spirits. I am once again ready to face into the journey ahead of me.
I tell this story not looking for sympathy etc but just to be honest and reflect that even though I am only a few weeks in I am aware of the emotional as well as physical challenges this journey is presenting to me. I will learn every day more and more about myself as I deal with these challenges and do my best to win each day.
At this moment I would like to say how appreciative I am of the messages of support I get from Home and all over the world trough so many channels. You cannot underestimate how much these messages of encouragement and support do for me and help me on my way.
I constantly think of the 2 charities I am fundraising for and the challenges the many people who engage with these 2 hard working charities face each and every day of their lives, the direct patients and their families, carers, friends and more. It is so important that we become aware of the hard battles people are facing all around us and show as much love, kindness and support as we can to all around us.
Sure were’t we always told it’s easier to be nice than not and sure no truer words spoken.
My last blog post was from the town of Bruay Le Brussiere and I departed from there on the morning of Thursday 27th June. As I said earlier I am now coming to you from the well known French Cathedral city of Reims.
I have now walked 482.5 KMs since I departed from Canterbury on Sunday 16th June which means I will break the 500KMs mark tomorrow when I depart Reims for Verzy.
The last 2 weeks have been great walking conditions again as I made my way across North East France. I am now what is known as the Champagne region of France and I expect to walk through many vineyards over the next couple of weeks and sure it would be rude not to enjoy their local tipple as I move through.
The last couple of weeks saw me staying mostly in very quiet villages and towns where most places were closed and very few services on offer. I do think that one of the big things I felt immediately from Reims was the bustle of activity and life and that definitely helped put a bit of a buzz in my internal batteries.
About 10 days ago I encountered my first other pilgrim walkers on the VF route. A fantastic Australian couple from Melbourne. It was really nice to meet with Colin & Sandy over the course of a week on different stages of the route and walk and chat. I really enjoyed walking with them and although our paths have differed now as they have gone ahead of me, I look forward to keeping in touch with them and following their journey. That interaction with other walkers was really good for me and may explain my melancholy in the days after. Any one that knows me knows I am very social and love to chat and that is why I am so looking forward to meeting up with the different crews from home that are coming out to join up with me later on my journey
The challenge of this undertaking is no doubt the huge mental challenge of the enormity of the route. Of course the physical challenge is huge but I can meet that by preparing and having the right gear, but the mental challenge which I feel a lot of the time is magnified by the solitude of the route is one that I will continue to work hard on every day of this walk. Again the messages from home are so helpful here.
The continuous donations and support to my 2 charities
Mayo Parkinson’s Association
And
Children’s Health Foundation Crumlin
Are so very generous and kind and very very much appreciated.
I am so lucky to be able to undertake this challenge and raise awareness for these 2 wonderful charities and I know from the messages I receive regularly from them both that they are very thankful for all the support.
I am feeling really rejuvenated and will always remember this brief visit in Reims as a place that embraced me at the very time I needed it and is sending me off well rested both physically and mentally.
I am going to finish this blog post with a poem I came across for the first time yesterday when it was referred to by Gerry Hussey on his webinar.
It is by the American Poet Marianne Williamson. I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you for reading.
Wishing you all health and happiness and good living
Take Care
Cathal
Our Deepest Fear
By Marianne Williamson
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us;
It’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.