Lom hits the heights for charidee mate!
Lom, Guys Tower
By Action Lom
January 22 2003
On March 16th, Saints intrepid action woman Lom takes time out from eating cucumbers and chasing players to do her bit for charity by jumping off (well almost) the roof at Twickenham. I'll let her explain all. Take it away Lom!!!!
Martin Bayfield is helping out this time in launching the Cancer Research UK world record abseil attempt....
Here's the blurb about my attempt last August..
Endlessly repeating the mantra "It's only the first bit that's difficult. Don't
look down, whatever you do" I'd already helped Cancer Research UK set a world
record last year on St Paddy's day (17th March) when I & nearly 1200 others each
abseiled 100ft at Twickenham in 12 hours.
This time it was a mere 450ft (and I get really dizzy changing light bulbs!).. then
reality struck - Notting Hill Carnival weekend (August Bank Holiday weekend 2002),
Northampton Saints v Stade Français on the Saturday (so no full-blown mi-temps!), engineering works on the MK-Euston railway line and a
meeting on the Monday in Bonn. No lazy bank holiday weekend with mid-afternoon
descent for me... now it had to be 10am on Sunday 25th August!
A sleepless Saturday night, a couple of strangers sponsoring me on the 06:17 (!)
coach to Euston and I was on my way towards London Bridge and my destiny - Guy's
Tower - which suddenly loomed sickeningly overhead......
No backing out now, I'd got some £315 in sponsorship from colleagues and rugby
contacts including Victor Ubogu! (ever the name dropper eh Lom?...........Ed ;-)) and - in total we raised over £20k - Thank you!
"Training" in Reception watched by bemused patients and hospital staff then quickly
outside, all harnessed up, to cheer on fellow mad abseilers as they made their slow
descent, one by one. Then up for a practice 10 ft "abseil" inside the tower ...
OUCH... I crashed heavily into the wall.... really knocking my confidence and
bruising my knees and ego... Trust me to use the "quick descent" technique rather
than the controlled one!
Out on the roof there was a slight haze but I could see St Paul's and Canary Wharf
Tower through the satellite dishes and, surprisingly, bulrushes growing in the
guttering 430ft up and then, there, silhouetted against the sun, looking over the
edge was one of the hunkiest guys I've ever seen... mmmhhh - a Rock Club instructor
...
Thanks to Farah who needed half an hour and a dozen tissues to start her descent
(boy, could she cry!), I ended up on the roof for about 2 hours, appreciating the
beauty of men in short shorts (a pleasant distraction from what I was about to do!)
and thinking "How ironic.. all this sun and no sunscreen!"
Then, finally, time to go over the edge. Too late to persuade the instructors I
needed the Farah-style "hands-on" treatment .. Silly me..
So, lean back, smile and start off..
Except I was stuck.. swearing at the pain in the small of my back as I
felt the weight of 2 x 450ft plus of rope.
But soon, in full Milk Tray Man style, I bounced only a few times against the wall,
quickly descending freely, halting once or twice to adjust the ginormous gloves and
twist back slowly to face the wall, whilst taking in, way in the distance, the
Houses of Parliament and the London Eye.
Having rushed (I'd got a plane to catch!), I was pleased to see Farah had stayed to
greet the others in our group and, like me, full of adrenaline, promising to do it
again...
So, this Sunday 16 March (the day after our ZP match against Bath at the
Rec), I'll be hoping to help retain the World Record, with support from colleagues,
friends and family..... meetings, trains and rugby permitting!
If you see me about stop me to sponsor me or get in touch via the COYSDC Message Board.
Lom