26 Countries in 2.6 Days?

Why am I doing this?

As those close to me know I have spent a fair amount of time in hospital over the years. At 14 I was diagnosed with an idiopathic scoliosis (curvature of the spine). I wore a body brace 24/7 for 2.5 years. At age 29 I needed to have major spinal surgery and had 13 vertebrae fused. Due to issues post-op I needed a second operation some months later. Sadly I was left with spinal nerve damage resulting in chronic pain. After the first surgery a friend told me about SAUK, the UK Scoliosis Association. Their information, support and guidance was invaluable.

That was over 20 years ago. SAUK continue to provide me and others with essential and much needed support and information - via their website, helpline, conferences, magazines and Facebook group. They are also affiliated with the British Scoliosis Research Fund, who are the only UK body to fund essential research into scoliosis.

After 10+ operations and various health issues I am keenly aware of just how privileged we are to have a National Health Service that is free at the point of access. I am humbled and very grateful for the expertise and care that I have received from many health professionals over the years. Having myself worked within the health service I am conscious of the funding constraints and the amount of pressure that staff are under. Yes, they deserve our applause in the present climate - but then they always have and always will.

Given that a physical challenge is not that realistic for me to do due to my health issues, I have decided to raise money without needing to leave my armchair. Donations will be split equally between the Scoliosis Association UK and the NHS Charities.

I love to travel but this is becoming more difficult. Since we are currently on lockdown a growing number of destinations are providing opportunities for “virtual” tours. So my challenge is to visit at least 26 countries within the equivalent of 2.6 days. This by my reckoning is a total of 62 hours and 24 minutes. All done by making use of the internet and “virtual” tours.

Given that staring at a screen for a solid 62 hours would be extremely unhealthy (and daft!), I am spreading the time out over a number of days. I will be keeping a record of the time spent in each country and posting the details here. I hope to visit at least two places of interest within each country. This includes doing tours of art museums in Russia, spending time on safari, walking the Great Wall of China, having access to inside a pyramid tomb in Egypt; and exploring New Zealand. https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/virtualtraveller

#TwoPointSixChallenge