IBI Kilimanjaro Challenge

Jon Beer

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Hi, I’m Jon Beer, Head of Technology Architecture for IBI Central Technology.  I’ve worked for Informa for 4 years, previously at Informa Telecoms & Media.  It turns out that moving to IBI last year was a good move indeed, when making the decision to come to work here I had no idea that the company had such great opportunities to travel abroad and get involved in raising money for charity.  It’s a really unique thing and not enough companies do it.From the moment I heard about this expedition I wanted to get involved and apply.  Having the opportunity to visit the Himalayan Mountain range has been a long term ambition for me. I just can’t imagine how big these mountains really are, so a part of this is to get there and just appreciate the sheer scale of the place.  Having made my application I didn’t really expect to be selected considering the hundreds if not thousands of people that work for IBI, I thought my chances must have been pretty slim.I enjoy anything that involves being outdoors, anything that takes me away from the hustle of the city even for just a short while.  I’ve done quite a few treks before, many in Australia, North America and the UK, so getting over to Nepal is just going to blow me away, so I have high expectations!The two greatest opportunities that I expect will come out of this expedition are getting to know seven other people from across IBI that I wouldn’t normally get to interact with, and getting to know them probably better than they know themselves (maybe that’s not such a good thing!) and obviously raising money to help The Red Cross’ efforts in Japan and Shelterbox all over the world.  Shelterbox are a great charity. They have come up with a really simple idea and you can see directly where your donation goes, right down to the individual family receiving the box that you directly contributed to.  They provide a unique service to people in disaster zones and I hope to raise lots of cash for them and the Red Cross.I think I’ll bring a unique perspective to the expedition, I’m normally pretty grumpy in the mornings but become human again after a decent coffee, that balanced with Paul Thoroughgood’s eternal optimism should make for some interesting times on the mountain…If you would like to donate anything at all to support Shelterbox and the Red Cross in Japan – please follow the links below:http://www.justgiving.com/JonBeer-Shelterboxhttp://www.justgiving.com/JonBeer-RedCross

What do I want to achieve?

• Get to base camp with as few blisters as possible
• Raise lots and lots of cash for both charities
• Remain upbeat even when it’s cold, wet and everything is damp
• Stay warm and get home safely!

What can I do to achieve my goals

• Add regular long walks into my training plan, make sure my feet are conditioned
• Avoid running to reduce chances of getting injured
• Cycle and swim more
• Plan and organise a good mix of small and large events to raise money
• Invest in some decent camping equipment
• Remember where I am and why
• Don’t try to show off at skateboarding and break my arm two days before departure

What will I do if I can't achieve your goals

• Remember that it’s not about me, it’s about a much bigger thing and do all that I can to ensure the whole expedition goes well and that as a group we raise as much money for Shelterbox and the Red Cross as possible
• Do my best to learn from what caused me to not achieve my goal and keep that in perspective

Fitness Goals

Current level 7

• Start to walk longer distances, walk to work and back at least twice a week
• Keep the fund raising efforts on track
• Take my fitness to the next level, do more core strength work but keep it at the right pace
• Reduce the amount of running I do to avoid injury