My Giza Conquer Challenge

I decided to do this challenge in the middle of the pandemic because I wasn’t getting out enough because I was shielding but I called my GP and said I was desperate to leave the house. I was told gently to exercise away from people!

I’ve noticed my adventurous spirit I had before I was ill and straight after my transplant seems to have dwindled. In a pandemic when you can’t get out but you want to going on fun adventures and exploring beautiful locations to take loads of pictures but I found a virtual loophole!

I found The Conqueror Challenge where you could set yourself a goal of distance and a time limit to complete your challenge! I decided to pick Giza, Egypt. One of my favourite places I have ever visited!

Me about to burst into flames in the Egyptian desert by the Pyramids!

Me totally not nailing the tourist photo!

Me and Hubby on the camel just where the Conqueror challenge is based round the Pyramids and around Cairo!

Diving In Egypt was amazing too and I felt so cool and brave (had a tiny panic attack when my goggles started to leak!) but I miss those days where I didn’t feel like my health or body held me back!

Achieving The Conqueror Challenge has given me that bit of confidence to try different challenges, but you still couldn't pay me enough to throw myself out of a plane or swim with sharks (I’m not going to be shark sushi!)

But I definitely want to be more adventurous and try to push myself to do more challenges!

I think my next one will be the safari in the Kruger National Park as I’m loving the film Love on Safari! I would love to go on Safari, the closest I‘ve been has been Longleat and in Barbados we met a few fun animal characters in a wildlife park there and some wild monkeys! I love big cats, cheetahs are very cool, I love their markings! I can’t really decide which I love the most! I think giraffes are very cool and actually can run really fast but interestingly the most dangerous animal in Longleat is a hippopotamus (we were told!) They will eat you, crunch you up a bit and then spit you out! Sooooo maybe I should say I don’t want to be playing “hungry hippos“ (haha!)

Oh I was also inspired by a few YouTubers that are professional divers that are explorers and treasure hunters (I know you might be surprised by my viewing but if I could have my time again and I hadn’t been ill I would love to have been an archaeologist - the little adventurer in me and hindsight are also great!) I will live vicariously through them for now though!

I am proud to have done my challenge and I definitely want to do another, so watch this space. I have to say I really like the set-up of The Conqueror Challenge, they plant trees at different stages of your journey! You get postcards of the history of the area of your trek and some you can use street view to see real locations on your route! I definitely recommend it and the medals are beautiful.

The medal opens up on the wings and inside there is a little beetle! It really is beautiful and I will be framing it for sure! I suppose that I need to address the elephant in the room, I have unfortunately gained weight in lockdown due to being at home a lot and feeling sorry for myself-the Camembert habit I took up in the first lockdown didn’t help! So I’m using The Conqueror challenge to help me lose weight by inspiring me to get out and do more exercise by working towards a medal! I have actually lost a little, as well as having smaller portions and being more mindful!

It’s been great to see my progress and you really get into the process of it and how many steps you’ve done! I got my finishing bib and I got quite emotional, it’s been 14 years since completing my trek in Cambodia and I felt elation but for quite different reasons this time! Remembering that I can do these things still!