State of the Jamie Address

Well it’s that time of the year again when I look back on what happened to me in the year gone by.

A difficult year in many respects where my mind and body gave up the ghost, but I end 2016 in a good place.  Whilst the year seems to have flown by, various events feel like a long, long time ago.

The first part of the year was difficult as depression finally got the better of me and I had to take a break from work.  Admitting you have a problem is always the hardest part, but I’m glad I took time out, I needed it. 

The body gave way after Kilimanjaro, and it’s now only at the end of the year do I feel like I’ve got my health back.  Who would have thought I would even have attempted a challenge like Kilimanjaro 4 years ago?  I’ve come a long way, and my journey has not ended.

On the walking front I met great new friends in Geoff, Christine, Islay and Pebbles, and did my first ever wild camp.  I really enjoyed my winter walking in the Lake District, and completed my Mountain Leader training in Snowdonia.  My Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Walk in Swansea was taken on by the charity and we had approximately 230 people there, a tremendous success.

I enjoyed the cricket in Cardiff, the Royal International Air Tattoo, and Budapest for the F1 Grand Prix and volunteering at the Cardiff Half Marathon.

I got the chance to speak at the Lean Construction Summit in Birmingham, and was invited to participate in a pilot of a Matthew Syed training course.  Work went bonkers and I was just awesome, the groundwork has been laid for some exciting projects in 2017.

There was the loss of people I loved, and meeting relations I hadn’t seen in years.  And I've also lost my never having missed a blip since I joined, due to August and September being lost in the aftermath of Kilimanjaro.

During this year the value of friendship has really shone through, none more so than Sandra, Rita, Dave, Gareth, Amanda, Geoff, Christine, Anne and Richard but there are many, many more.
There were loads of trips to the cinema and the theatre, as you would imagine, and the trips to ice hockey and rugby.
2016 wasn't all that bad when you think of it.
First run in ages today, not a great time but it wasn't about that and Neath lost in the rugby.