Second Organik Conference - Life After Kili

By Isabelle Privé

For the second time, Team Kili-2012 has enjoyed a conference by a member of the Organik team.

Organik is a company dedicated to promoting health in the workplace. It has brought together a group of specialists in health, sport, nutrition, relaxation, meditation, yoga and others. It decided to support our group with help and advice and, this time, with a conference by Julie Marchand, a sports trainer and physical fitness specialist.

Julie shared her personal experience, her enthusiasm and her passion, not only for sport but for life itself. She brought up a subject that's rarely talked about during the preparation for an expedition like Kilimanjaro - life after Kilimanjaro - what will happen to us afterwards.

People who have experienced an expedition like ours often say "It'll change your life" or "You're not the same when you come back". What exactly do they mean? What's it like in real life?

"When you're there, you become your real self. You're no longer the mother, the spouse, the friend, the child, the neighbour, the employee of....... It's one of the rare times in life when you're quite simply yourself. And that's what changes your life forever."

During all the turmoil of the preparations for the trip, having to cope with passport, training, dates, family and the race against time, you don't realise that you're setting out on an adventure that will change your life.  You don't realise that you're jumping into the unknown and that, however well you're prepared, you can never be completely ready for the actual experience or for the way in which it will transform you.

We're all taken up with our daily lives and the society in which we live. We all have bills to pay, family, friends, work to accomplish. We must all get up each morning and do what's necessary to get on in life, stay fit, grow and be happy. I've realised, thanks to this meeting with Julie, that, when we climb on board the plane, we'll be leaving all that behind for the duration of the expedition.

What will happen over there? I've no idea. How will we experience it all? I've no idea. How will the trip change us? No idea! All I know is that I've found a deeper reason for living this crazy experience to the full together with this wonderful group of people - Team Kili-2012.

Thank you, Julie, for sharing your experience and your wisdom. Thank you, Organik, for organising the conference.

Another step on the way to the summit!!

Translated by Pamela Gauvin