On the 17th of September 2019 I set off on a 450km solo and unsupported hike from my home in Woodgate to the Brisbane CBD (itinerary). I did this to raise funds and awareness for Brain Injury and also because I wanted to have an adventure. During the hike I raised in excess of $5000. My target is $40 000, so I still have a ways to go and the best part of the year to get it done. All that money will go to The PA Research Foundation and STEPS, which are collaborators in providing rehabilitation for those struck down with a traumatic brain injury. Please contact me if you are interested in collaborating with me. I’d love to hear from you!
Having a brain injury myself, I am a member of my local STEPS support group who meet in Bundaberg every month. Brain injury is known as the invisible disability and I got to talk to a lot of people, including the Minister of Health (Hon. Dr Steven Miles) about what it means to live with such a disability. “Gees, you look fine.” “There’s no way I’d ever think that you had a disability.” “Yeah, but there’s nothing wrong with you though.” Were some of the responses I got from people I met along the way.
This was the second big hike I’ve done. In 2016 I walked almost 400km to raise money for brain cancer. Since I completed that first hike I’ve been training pretty hard, which made my hike to Brisbane much easier than the 2016 hike. My attitude has probably shifted a fair bit too because on that first hike I came to learn that I am an amazing person who can achieve unbelievable things, but that I’m not special. I’m just like everyone else; the only difference being that I’m someone who had an idea and I made the idea happen. All of us can do that; you have my permission to be awesome too!
Damien Topp (CEO PA Research Foundation) Me and the Hon. Dr Steven Miles (Health Minister) in Brisbane on my arrival. (photo: Sue Wright STEPS).
Free State of Jen 
Reblogged this on Faran Silverton and commented:
Do you like adventures? Come on one with my amazing friend Jen.
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Great blog, I love reading your funny and enthusiastic posts – so much positivity. I totally agree with your observations that it’s so easy to focus on what we aren’t/can’t do instead of measuring all the amazing things we can and have done. Can’t wait to read more about your adventures 😊
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Thanks! I’m glad you think they’re funny 🙂 That’s kind of hard to gauge. Like, do I write this way and come off potentially sounding like a dickhead, or do I write that way and still sound like a dickhead, but maybe not such a big one. I decided that size doesn’t count because it’s dicks all the way down anyway.
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Haha no, I like your self-deprecating humour and honesty. It’s so much more fun to read than the flood of ‘look at me I’m so good’ blogs that seem to exist.
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It’s great to see others so positive! My name is Amy, on the 14th September 2013 an event happened that changed my life forever. I was left with a traumatic brain injury and had to learn everything again. This is one of the pieces I wrote, I’ve actually done a few on my accident/injuries.
https://aquoonline.com/2019/03/07/4-my-head-hurts-f-d/
check out aquoonline.com – can’t wait to stalk your page!
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