Walking the Great Wall of China for Stripey Stork: Caroline’s Story
A year ago, walking The Great Wall of China seemed lightyears away but wanting to
A year ago, walking The Great Wall of China seemed lightyears away but wanting to get back on her feet after major surgery and improve her fitness, Caroline set herself that very task. What started as a personal challenge soon became something much bigger when she decided to walk to raise vital funds for Stripey Stork.
In September, Caroline spent five days trekking sections of the Great Wall of China, tackling steep climbs, thousands of steps, scorching heat and more spiders than she would have liked, all while raising money and awareness for Stripey Stork.
From creative fundraising events to gruelling training and unforgettable days on the Wall, Caroline threw herself into the challenge. Here, she tells us about the journey, the people she met along the way and why choosing a small, local charity felt so important to her.
My story started a year ago, getting back on my feet after major surgery. I had just turned 50 and was at a time of life when I wanted an adventure but also something that would give me a goal for my personal fitness.
I’d been inspired by another charity trek to the Great Wall of China, and the idea of taking on something so far outside my everyday life really appealed to me. It felt like the perfect combination of adventure, personal challenge and having something exciting to work towards. So, I started looking into the options and came across the trek organised by Charity Challenge. It seemed like a great opportunity to turn my idea into reality. Once I’d signed up, I had something definite to work towards and a very exciting adventure ahead!
I’ve had a connection with Stripey Stork from its early days and I’ve known Nicola for a long time. When Nicola was starting up, I was working with NCT and running the Nearly New Sales, so I could pass on excess stock that sellers hadn’t taken away. Over the years I’ve continued to donate things when my own children have outgrown them. I’ve seen all the campaigns and the impact that they have made to thousands of children and I knew how important and needed Stripey Stork was in the local area.
It was important to me to choose a local charity so that I, and my supporters, could really see the difference we were making in our community. When I was fundraising, I felt it was easier for people to connect with something local. I felt it was such a good fit and it felt so right.
I had great fun with the fundraising. The Hungarian dinner party was great and the fire and smoke event was lovely because my husband did most of the cooking.
One of my favourites was a fair I did at a local school. I’d been crocheting little knitted creatures because I thought I could sell them alongside my jams and chutneys to raise money. I had no idea that it would be the animals that would almost go viral! Children were buying them, showing their friends and then coming back so they could all buy one.
What I loved was that at these events I didn’t always know who I was talking to: someone who needs help, someone who has had help or someone who can donate and support. At stalls and events, so many different people would come up and say, ‘I know Stripey Stork. I’ve donated to them’ or ‘My friend volunteers for Stripey Stork.’ I was also sometimes able to share how to access support and help from Stripey Stork. That was special and reminded me why I was doing this.
My initial target was simply to get fit and get moving. After Christmas I got brave and went back to a ballet class I hadn’t attended for ten years and then I went to Park Run, which was brilliant and inclusive as you can walk as well as run. A friend who volunteers as a tail walker encouraged me and walked with me. The first time I did it, it took me 59 minutes so I knew I had some work to do. I kept at it and I was really encouraged when I realised that by Easter I was ahead of the training scheduled that Charity Challenge had sent me. The next thing I needed to do was some resistance training. I didn’t even know what that meant so had to ask my friends. I’d never done anything related to fitness or even set foot near a gym! Because I work at a local secondary school with a fitness suite, I asked whether staff could use it for free, and they said yes. I did a lot of elliptical cross-training and leg work and I also built up my back so I could carry a rucksack. We weren’t going to be carrying all our belongings – those were transported from place to place but we would need to carry a small pack with all our water, lunch and any extra clothing.
When I arrived in China, it felt quite daunting because I’d never been before. The closest I’d been was Hong Kong, around 17 or 18 years earlier. Charity Challenge were brilliant at hand-holding us through everything which made it all seem so much easier. I remember sitting on the bus and feeling a bit like a rabbit in headlights.
When we first saw the Great Wall, it was so exciting. I’d never seen anything like it. We had been staying in a commuter town outside Beijing, then drove into the foothills and saw the structures around Badaling. We weren’t going to the busy tourist section of the wall so it was much quieter.
Day two was definitely the hardest. It was very hot, and we were dropped beside a road with wooded slopes. We went straight into the woodland, up a really steep dirt path through scrub and debris that clearly hadn’t been walked for days. There were spiders and webs everywhere. Our guide, Peter, used his pole to break down cobwebs. It felt a bit like walking through Mirkwood from The Hobbit, with big spiders everywhere and I really hate spiders!
Added to that it was so physical. We scrambled over uneven ground and through close scrub. Once we reached the ridge we followed the line of the old Wall between watchtowers sometimes climbing over big rocks. At one point, Peter even hauled me up by the back of my rucksack because I have short legs and not much upper-body strength. It was incredibly tough. The best bit about that day was the group’s support. It made the difficult bits so much easier. We couldn’t always see each other, but we could hear voices encouraging us. That camaraderie got us through and we were rewarded with spectacular views from the top.
My favourite day was day three, the furthest we walked. We started at a part of the Wall called Gubeikou, which was broken in places but where you could still clearly see the Wall. It was lovely walking on the dirt, and as we climbed up from a fort in a valley, we began to get incredible views on either side.
When we reached the Jinshanling section, it was everything you could imagine as the picture-postcard Great Wall of China. It felt like being in a movie. It was unrestored but very well preserved, and absolutely stunning.
The woods became greener, the light turned golden, and every few minutes we stopped to say how incredible it was. These were real ‘pinch me’ moments.
The support from Stripey Stork was lovely from start to finish. When I said what I was going to do and that I’d love to do it for them, the enthusiasm and gratitude from the team was amazing.
They provided leaflets, a fundraising pot and a t-shirt, so I was clearly badged and equipped to talk about the work they do. At one event there was a banner that I took. All those things helped people understand why I was doing it and engage with me and ultimately make a donation.
On the trek, having the Stripey Stork chick and t-shirt was fantastic. Nobody could miss me in bright orange! It was a great talking point and gave me an opportunity to talk about who I was fundraising for which led to some lovely donations from fellow trekkers. What was really nice was the personal touch. They gave me two envelopes to open each day with words of gratitude and encouragement. It really meant a lot. Sometimes there were tough moments, especially when the legs hurt but reading the messages and knowing how much it meant to the team back home kept me going.
At the end of the five days I was absolutely thrilled, but it was bittersweet coming off the Wall for the last time. It had been such an amazing experience and I was going to miss it. The group was a really important part of my whole experience. There were 17 of us, and everybody was walking with a purpose. Lots of people had really important stories and experiences, which was so inspiring.
This experience has given me a taste of China and I definitely think I’ll go back. I really loved it; it was fascinating, although I’ve only scratched the surface by visiting the Great Wall and spending one day in Beijing. There is so much more to explore.
As for trekking, I don’t think I’m finished. I wouldn’t undertake something as big as this again too soon because it took a lot of effort and my legs are still recovering. Maybe the foothills of The Himalayas as that looks stunning and I would love to experience that with my husband.
I’m grateful to every person who donated, supported me, encouraged me, kept me going or walked with me. The friends who helped with my fitness journey and women who inspired me all helped me to be brave and take on something I never thought I would be capable of. I hit 50 and decided to do something big and adventurous, so I hope I inspire other people.
If you have been inspired by Caroline and want to take on your own challenge to raise money for Stripey Stork then visit our website or email our team challenge@stripeystork.org.uk, we’d love to hear from you.
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