I’ve been connected with the charity Odyssey since 2004 when I first worked as an instructor on one of their remarkable courses, for adults who live with cancer or are in remission. My links with the organisation go back much further though, to the mid-1980s in fact, when I used to work alongside many of the people involved. Odyssey’s philosophical roots lie in the Outward Bound movement espousing the general tenet; “We’re better than we know.” The primary aim of Outward Bound courses is to facilitate positive self-awareness, focussing on personal strengths and abilities. Odyssey was born from the coming together of previous Outward Bound staff and cancer care professionals with the goal of providing week long outdoor adventurous courses for people living with cancer. It’s been central to their work these courses are free of cost for the participants and despite being a small charity, they’ve succeeded in this, delivering hundreds of courses for over 25 years.

I cannot say anything about these courses or what they entail because like everyone else, I’m sworn to secrecy. A fundamental element of an Odyssey course is one of pleasant surprise. Participants expect some form of adventurous experience but never know what is going to happen. This serves two purposes. It eases anxiety, so people don’t worry about activities listed on a defined programme. Secondly, uncertainty is sadly an element of living for many living cancer, and by experiencing this on an Odyssey course, and then being pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable and rewarding the activities are, helps folks view life’s uncertainty slightly differently. The courses I worked were incredibly inspirational experiences for me because I witnessed so many joyful triumphs as well as sharing in people’s joy in reconnecting with the joy of life through adventure, personal attainment, comradery, and laughter.

In 2018, I kayaked the Three Peaks as a fundraising venture for Odyssey. It was one of my proudest moments when I arrived in Aberdovey after setting off from Fort William and climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon on the way, to be greeted by many of the Odyssey staff and their flying banner. I was delighted and honoured after this challenge to be asked to be one of their Ambassadors.

I look forward to raising further funds for them on my next kayaking challenge which begins in August 2022.