India on the front lines in the battle to eradicate polio

Only 3 days until we fly out!  Just wanted to share this article from the Globe and Mail with you:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-pacific/india-on-the-front-lines-in-the-battle-to-eradicate-polio/article1929578/

Traipsing Along the Humber Trail



This past weekend we had a lovely sunny day for our hike!  We started out early morning near Alice’s and walked along the lakeshore on the way to the Humber Trail.  As usual we had several canine encounters; including one with an Irish Setter who stole a mitten!  We followed the path to the Old Mill where the trail became completely engulfed in ice and water- a true test of how waterproof our boots are.  After slipping and sliding (yes; one of us wiped out lol) we turned around and headed back.  Overall we hiked a total of 12km. 

This weekend we will be doing our longest hike yet; we will be trekking a total of 35 KM over 2 days!  More updates to come next week, only 16 more days to go! 

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Roaming the Rouge Trail

This past weekend the 4 of us met up early in the morning for a full day hike.  This time we decided to explore the east end; starting with the Colonel Danforth Park and Highland Creek. 
The day began bright and sunny but we were soon blown away with snow squalls!   Once we arrived to the beach the snow had cleared up and it was bright and sunny once again. 

After stopping for a quick lunch we then began our afternoon hike along the Rouge Trail which connects to the greenbelt.  The walk was nice and leisurely until one of us tripped over a large stick and fell on the trail!  The crisis was quickly averted (in other words everyone else laughed at them) and there were no injuries.  Overall we had a great day and hiked a total of 15 km! 

More updates to come next week; 26 days until we fly out!  If you would like to support our trek please click the donate button to the right.  Please note 100% of funds raised are going directly to the Rotary International Foundation (Canada) in support of the Polio Plus Campaign. Thank you to everyone who has already made a donation. 

Hike in High Park

On Sunday the whole team got together and we hiked along the trail in High Park.  After some friendly encounters in the leash free zone, we were able to finish the main trail in just under an hour. 

After that we headed over to the Kay Gardner Beltline and hiked the rest of the afternoon along there.  The beltline used to be a railway and is now part of Toronto’s Discovery Walks.  This was a great way to check out parts of the city that we hadn’t been to before. 

Our next hike will be next weekend along the Rouge Trail!  Stay tuned for more updates next week and thanks again to those who have already made donations.  Only 32 days to go!

Weekend Wandering

Our training continues!  This past weekend we all split up to do our own trekking.  In addition to meeting with her trainer, Mary Catherine hit some trails up near Bolton.  Alice hiked the trails in High Park, making sure to challenge herself by focusing on all of the hills while wearing her day pack filled with gear and weights!  Chrissy hit the treadmill hard for several hours until she couldn’t feel her legs.  I was able to make it to the gym for an intense workout on the cycle, elliptical and stepper.  I have to admit, the stair-mill scares me so I have been avoiding that one. 

The countdown continues with 38 days left until we fly out!  Thanks to everyone who has made a donation so far.  If you haven’t already; click to the right to make a donation via PayPal.  Thanks in advance for your support!

We will be doing another group trek this Sunday so stay tuned for more updates on our weekend adventures in training!

Don Valley Trail Trek

We are less than 2 months away from our climb!  As the date approaches we have been diligently training every weekend to prepare for the big day.  This past weekend we lucked out with sunny skies but had to deal with freezing temperatures.  Unfortunately Chrissy was ill; but Alice, Mary Catherine and I started out early in the morning and headed off for a day along the Don Valley Trail.  We walked through the city for a while and then entered the route just off of Bayview.  I ended up leading the girls astray and we went “off trailing” down a hill!  It was a close call; aside from a bit of sliding and one of us getting stuck in a tree we made it onto the main trail.   Thank goodness we will have a guide to keep us on track in Tanzania (lol).  The view along the trail was great; there were many other hikers, cross country skiers and people snow shoeing.  After 14 km we decided to end hour hike up at Don Mills and Eglinton.  Overall a very productive day of training!

The Climbing Team

The Toronto Twilight Rotary Club Climbing Team:

The Toronto Twilight Rotary Club (TTRC) is one of the newest clubs in Toronto, Canada. Formed in 2009, it has been a very active group in the Toronto community, and was officially chartered on February 18, 2010. 

Alice Maliakkal is a Charter Member (past Service Director) and is currently the President-Elect of the TTRC. She works as an Environmental Engineer at Conestoga-Rovers & Associates in the area of water and wastewater treatment. Alice enjoys getting involved with community and international service projects and is excited to challenge herself with this climb and help support Rotary’s goal to eradicate polio in the world.

Christine Phelan is the Charter President and is currently the Membership Director of the TTRC. She
is also a District 7070 RYLA Program Co-ordinator and a third generation Rotarian. She works as a Branch Manager for the Bank of Montreal. Christine is excited (and slightly terrified) to be climbing Kilimanjaro.

Holly Weber is the Charter Vice-President and is currently the President of the TTRC. She works as a Technical Recruiter at Procom and has been in the recruitment industry for almost 7 years. An avid adventure traveler, she has previously climbed Machu Picchu and is excited to embark on this challenging
trek.

Mary-Catherine Lill is a new member and is currently the Foundation Director of the TTRC. She works as a Litigation Lawyer at Gilbertson Davis Emerson, a firm which specializes in insurance defence. She looks forward to not only sharing this adventure with her good friends and fellow Rotarians but to the opportunity to raise funds and awareness for the End Polio Now campaign.

We appreciate your support in helping us achieve a polio-free world.