Rachel Colenso

The Avon Justine iThemba Walkathon is a family fun walk for the whole family, there will be various activities for the children as well as stalls and food vendors for walkers to enjoy. The fifth annual Avon Justine iThemba Walkathon is in Johannesburg on Sunday, 17 October and the third annual iThemba Walkathon in Cape Town on Sunday, 31 October 2010. This promises to be a great event for a very worthy cause. As a speaker at the Ithemba Ladies Day, I was moved by the courage and positive outlook of the women that this organisation supports. The iThemba Walkathon’s form part of the Avon Walk Around World – where people across the globe unite in the crusade against breast cancer and show their solidarity. ( www.ithembawalkathon.co.za ) The event in Cape Town on 31st October, and will be posted in a couple of days. Do hope to see some of you there.

David Davies was a modern pioneer in South African climbing. His kind and unasuming nature belied his great talent in climbing and having the vision to open some of the classic climbs in South Africa. Sadly he passed away recently and his memorial service at Kirstenbosch was packed with people who's hearts he had touched in so many ways. Here is Jeremy on 'Celestial Journey' in the Cederberg, South Africa. It was the first route we climbed together on our honeymoon. Jeremy thought at the time it would be lovely for us to have this as a memory of a great first climb as a married couple. (Must say it was a bit harder work getting to the top than I thought it might be:) David Davies did not live as long as many people, but what he left behind was a memory of his love and friendship, some amazing routes that will last as long as the mountains themselves, and a pioneering spirit that may inspire generations of adventurers to come.

Wow! We have just watched about half a dozen Southern Right Whales swimming, blowing flumes of water and giving a generally awe-inspiring display just 30metres from where we were standing. In fact even Madonna could not have stopped so much traffic. Then, on our way home a troupe of about 15 baboons, varying from suckling infant to the aged and infirm had us give way as they sauntered across the mountain road. I thought we were then rounding off a really good 'wildlife day' when the hadedas flew overhead, but round the next corner near our home by the game fence were Eland and Ostrich, again much closer than usual. Kruger National watch out....

I met up with Mathew Quinn, (ex-Olympic sprinter) from Oakley this week and was delighted to be given some products to try out. I arrived at my daughter's play school, donning the new sunglasses and watch, which I was sure would meet her approval. Instead Rosemary took one look at the glasses, wrinkled her nose and stated, "Women who have just given birth shouldn't wear sunglasses like that." Thankfully the sports pair, 'Endure' met with her taste. I hope to be working with Mathew on a new exciting launch in the following year.

A very busy month for us gals! It would now appear that we have a whole month, not just one day set aside especially for women. Last week had a great day speaking to a wonderful audience at Old Mutual Park in Cape Town, then flew to Joburg for the Ithembi Ladies Day. Avon Justine’s iThemba Crusade of Hope is dedicated to breast health education and awareness. Look Good...Feel Better provides inspirational and motivational beauty workshops for women in active cancer treatment. Gerry Ransteli Elsdon was a truly fabulous MC. Both witty and insightful, as well of course as beautiful. I had the pleasure of being seated next to Janie du Plessis, the other celebrity guest who had me in tears with just the start of her talk. A very inspirational person and I hope to catch up soon in Cape Town with her. Karen Kay Agenberg worked wonders with her camera ensuring everyone was captured in their best light! The event was filmed for DSTV and will be sometime soon! The event was organised by 4D ...

Aren't we fortunate in South Africa having a day set aside because you are a woman? - Not to say the other 364 days are set aside for men. It is a chance to look at some very special women and what they have accomplished. I have chosen Sheena Iyenga, a remarkable woman who has published a book titled The Art of Choosing, and who's studies are in exactly that. Her work has been has been informing business and consumer-goods marketing since the 1990s. Her work goes further than this though. It looks at certain medical decisionmaking, on the drawbacks of providing too many choices, and on most fascinating for me, the cultural and geographical underpinning of choice, where in one example school children from opposite ends of the globe were given a choice in which puzzles they could complete. The results were fascinating, as is Sheena who speaks about them. To find out more see: http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing.html It is worth choosing to spend the ne...

July has been a month of celebrations! We have just become parents again to a little baby girl called Jasmine Kelsey who was born on 2 nd of July. Our other daughter, Rosemary, who was born on 4 th of July, has just turned three. Then on the 24 th of July I celebrated my own birthday. Then, a completely different thing to celebrate happened yesterday, when I went to collect a registered letter. It contained non other than my South African Mountain Guide's badge. It had really been on my husband's suggestion that I went through with the rigmarole of yet more training, mountaineering assessments , 3 hour exams, and a mountain of coursework. The standard set is by no means at half mast, and over the last year there were a number of times I wondered whether it was possible to complete around my other work and being a Mum. During the course I became pregnant with our second child, and again wondered whether I could really finish it. One particularly draining weekend involved n...