Over The Edge for LDF

I’m sitting in the airport on the last Sunday afternoon of June and reflecting on what the past couple of days has been like .. AMAZING 😁

This weekend was the 2019 Extreme Challenge to raise funds for the Line Dance Foundation for which I am really proud to be a Scottish Ambassador.

Choreographers, teachers and dancers from across the UK headed to the capital, to the site of the 2012 Summer Olympics, armed only with grit, determination, sponorship from loads of wonderful friends and family, and legs shaking like jelly!

There were 9 extreme teamists, each with 4 in their team – but we are all one huge family – there to support and encourage each other.

Friday – touristing and tension building…

We (me, Steve, Margo and Ian) arrived in London at 8am on Friday morning and after heading to the hotel to drop our bags we went out to do the TOURIST thing. Oh my goodness, 8 hours later and our feet ‘fell out with us’ we arrived back at the hotel having seen everything … it was fab …

The first Over the Edge folk we met up with were Jamie and Johnny. I’m sure our Jamie was getting whiter and whiter by the minute.

Soon everyone was arriving and the place was buzzing with all the LDF guys nervously talking about what was to come. A good job we met up in a bar!

Saturday – we felt the fear and did it anyway!

On Saturday morning we all headed over to the (canny spell it lol ) BIG MASSIVE 80 metre drop building to do our LDF challenge.

[ ArcelorMittal Orbit at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London – bigger than the Eiffel Tower]

We all gathered on the terrace and the weather was roasting hot. After getting up to the top in the lift in 34 seconds, we weren’t going to walk all the 455 stairs down – oh no, we were all going to whizz down on The Slide, then some of us, including Ian and I, were going to go back up and abseil Over the Edge of the tower!

Throughout the day each of us experienced the amazing support of our line dance family as we went off to do the slide and the abseil. The atmosphere was absolutely electric – we were all petrified, but buzzing. There were a few, including myself, who once at the top decided “NOPE not doin it” hahaha but my abseil buddy Ian Fotheringham was right at my side encouraging me .. don’t listen to his GoPro footage, I’m sure it can be edited 🤪

Anyway off we went and BOOM it was done! Honestly I loved the ZipIt challenge last year but ohhhhh I loved this so much after I got over my fear .. the slide whooooooo hooooo can I say AMAZING again lol

Remember Jamie who was looking whiter and whiter as the challenge got nearer? HE SMASHED IT – whoop go Jamie! Very proud 😍

I loved seeing everyone especially my Linedancer Radio family .. great show Gary and Suzi – you kept us all entertained whilst we waited and helped calm our nerves. It’s LDR’s first birthday on 1 July – here’s to many more!

My verdict?

The whole thing from start to finish was, yip, AMAZING (there’s that word again ) and I would do it all again tomorrow!

To my LDF family…

Ian, Willie, April, Frank and Margo – well done you all rock
BOOM proud team leader ❤️

To Helen O’Malley (love you now) and Betty Drummond love u too lol 
You ladies rock .. can’t wait till next year 😩🤣❤️

To everyone of you that took part WELL DONE be proud .. 

A BIG BIG THANK YOU to everyone that sponsored me .. all for a great cause and every penny counts – you all rock 😍

If anyone would like to make a wee donation to the Line Dance Foundation or would like to know more about their work, you can head to their website.

Cheerio fur noo 
H xxx