When most people think vacation, they think of lounging on the beach, sipping their cocktail or maybe reading a book under the warm southern sun. But this doesn’t appeal to everyone, and that includes one of our awesome clients at Matrix of Motion. Shannon left for her trip to Tanzania in Africa yesterday in order to conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro! What an adventure to plan for! We have had the privilege of working with Shannon for the past year to help prepare her for this big climb. Her strength, endurance and just overall fitness level has seriously improved and I can’t wait to hear the stories how she ran up (or walked…) the mountain!

Here’s a bit from Shannon on her trip and preparation for it….

My long-time friend moved to Tanzania years ago. Despite the distance, we’ve kept in touch and have planned for years that I visit her there. While planning my trip, I heard about the option to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and so of course we signed up!

I’ve been a gym rat for years but I knew I was going to have to step up my training to be sure I could reach the summit. I also knew I would not be able to do it alone. I started going to Greg for personal training sessions once every two weeks for both guidance and inspiration. Knowing I was going to have to face Greg every 14 days is what kept me motivated to get to the gym and keep up my training. Now with a couple of days to go before I fly out, I’m 43 years old and feel stronger than ever.

The trek is designed so that everyone can summit. Yet I still can’t help feeling intimidated by the adventure ahead. I know I’ve done all I can do physically to prepare, so with Greg’s motivation and training and my sheer will to accomplish this task, look out Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, here I come!!

We wish you all the best on your trip Shannon! You will most certainly conquer the climb and embrace the challenge!

Stay tuned for a follow up from Shannon once she returns from Tanzania! We’ll find out exactly how it went and just how challenging of a climb it was! See you soon!