Heather Mackenzie's Vietnam experience
Heather Mackenzie took part in our Vietnam cycle ride in October 2009 and raised £7,856 for the MS Trust.
"Vietnam was amazing. The people are so lovely and very happy despite the fact they work very hard and have very little. The cycle was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life - I assured several of the younger girls that child birth was much easier than what we were going through every day!
"I did find it very hard to cope with the heat - between 35-40 degrees every day. It was like someone flicked a switch at 10am every morning and the heat became very intense. This just drained all my energy and I found it very difficult to do some of the big climbs, so had to opt out of a few.
"I had also lost sensation in my right leg about 3 weeks before we left, this caused me a few problems as some days I just had no power in that leg. At home, my MS doesn't affect my day to day life very much and I very much feel in control of my body - but I had a teary moment one difficult day when I felt as if I was losing control and my MS was taking over. I just couldn't get the power in my legs to get up the hill. After a good cry I just became angry and very determined that I would not allow my MS to take over, I had a brilliant afternoon after that and tackled a steep hill with the help of my very own pelaton! Team spirit was brilliant and I got lots of support from my fellow cyclists.
"I would definitely recommend this or a similar adventure to anyone wishing to fundraise for MS Trust - it was a fantastic experience and one I will remember for a very long time. I am absolutely delighted that I have also raised so much for The Multiple Sclerosis Trust in the process - well worth all the hard work!"
Heather Mackenzie 2009
Make a Difference
You can find further inspirational ideas in the latest issue of Make a Difference - the MS Trust's fundraising newsletter. Find out more
