Bursting with pride
“I knew Reem was really pushing herself. I have never trained anyone in my 15 years of experience who had that desire and want to succeed. It was impressive!”
Of course, training can only last so long and it was soon the middle of February, with only six weeks left to go. Porter wished to explore the technical aspect of the climb in more detail, so she called upon experienced climber Darren Jordon. Proving a reliable source of expertise and adding the final string to Reem’s expedition bow, Jordon provided much-needed reassurance for the young climber and assisted with her mental preparation.
One fear Reem had to conquer was altitude.
“This was going to be impossible to simulate or experience, and it was an area that scared Reem. I talked to a friend at Aspire, a high-quality sports performance facility that offered the chance of using their altitude chambers, but we opted not to do this due to timings and availability.”
Altitude sickness can affect anyone and being fitter does not decrease your chances; there is simply much less oxygen at high altitude, which makes your muscles, heart, brain and lungs cry out for it.
You can read Part 2 – The climb, told by Karen Porter on the FitPro blog now
About Karen
Karen Porter has over 15 years’ experience in the fitness industry. In 2003, she helped open the Reebok Health Club in Canary Wharf, London, where she was fitness manager. For the last nine years, Karen has lived in Qatar, running her own business, Body&Health by Design. She has recently completed her LifeCoaching qualification and is currently completing her Juice Therapists qualification. bodyandhealthbydesign.com
