Inclusive Expeditions and Challenges

Access the note in Spanish FROM HERE

I start with the phrase «Together There are No Impossible«, a phrase full of power with which we should all guide ourselves … and now I explain a little more why.

In 2017 I met Federico Núñez Perea, a great adventurer, entrepreneur, lover of nature and life, he is president of the RENAPRED (National Network for the Prevention of Disability) and Mexico Incluye associations; The latter is a foundation that seeks a country where people with disabilities make their lives what their dreams can imagine and raise awareness in society about the importance of including people with disabilities in all areas of life. Its focus is to create a movement to make inclusion a daily value and orchestrate other Mexicans to participate in concrete actions. Working to achieve the integration of people with disabilities in society, modify the social environment seeking integration, awakening the responsibility of all so that they have full participation in all areas of life.

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Federico has led and overcome 3 important challenges, with great teams made up of people with and without disabilities; challenges of water, land and powerful engines, which I will talk a little about next.

 

Kilimajaro Expedition (Nov 2016)

A group of people with disabilities and without disabilities set out to reach the summit of the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro at 5,149m, in order to demonstrate that «Together there are no impossibles«.

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The preparation to carry out this challenge took a year of training, some sacrifice and a lot of enthusiasm, on November 29th they boarded the plane that would take them to this new adventure; After a long trip arrived in Arusha-Tanzania, the city where Kilimanjaro is located, the first day they had the opportunity to walk through its streets and do some shopping, in the afternoon everything was ready to go to the north side of the mountain and they would sleep in a refuge in its borders; the route chosen for the ascent was Rongai as it was the most technically appropriate for this team.

On the second day (December 3rd) they climbed from 1,800m to 2,626m, traveling 6.7km. After sleeping in the shelter, they began to prepare all their things and presented themselves with the porters who would accompany them. In the first part of the way passed through pine forests and agricultural sectors, Benjamin (with a motor disability due to not having legs) on these trails could use his wheelchair and at all times they worked together avoiding some complicated parts.

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All full of energy arrived at their first camp after a soaked by the rain, which was not an impediment to enjoy the reception full of songs and dance. This day, almost at night, Jaime (with visual impairment) arrived, had problems with his luggage, which was lost on the trip, but the entire team supported by lending part of the necessary material so that he did not miss the opportunity to reach the top.

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 On the third day they reached the altitude of 3,450 meters above sea level, traveling a distance of 8km. After leaving the camp, they left the forest behind and started a very stony terrain, they arrived at the camp and were received again with songs and dancing, and in the afternoon they talked among the team members and were able to contemplate the views of the mountain.

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 On the fourth day they climbed to 3,600 meters above sea level, advancing almost 4km, here the use of the wheelchair was complicated, but working together they managed to reach their camp.

On the 5th they climbed, reaching 4,700 meters above sea level, walking approximately 9km; This day they got up very early with a very cold climate with the goal of reaching the last camp, and from there, the pace of advance was slow, they already felt the wear due to the effort of the previous days and the effect of the altitude, they arrived to the camp to sleep very early (7pm) because at 2am they would start the final march towards the summit.

Day 6, summit day. At last the long-awaited moment arrives, the day of the attack on the summit of the highest mountain in Africa, everyone was tired and still lacked the hardest part, but all with a lot of courage and great motivation and most importantly … all united by the same goal. And so it was, practically the entire team reached the summit, except for one of them for security reasons.

Finally, with some or other disabilities, in the mountains you learn to know your own body, the physical and mental limits. There they learned to trust themselves and others more, to understand that barriers are often created or invented by us.

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Revillagigedo Challenge (April 2018)

 This important challenge was the first inclusive underwater expedition to the Revillagigedo Islands in Baja California Sur (Mexico), demonstrating that when working together, there are no impossibilities.

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The team prepared for nine months together with Jack Baron´s dive team before the underwater encounter.

After this training and ready to launch into the depths of the ocean, all very excited, but at the same time with an enormous emotional charge, they left Mexico City with the support of the Secretary of the Navy, after a few hours they were able to observe their paradisiacal destination and once landing they begin their expedition where they will have to overcome many challenges.

 Giving the last indications, they manage to leave in a timely manner, equipment ready, tanks full and on their way to the platform, the last phase, before diving. Here the assembly of the team is done individually, some can do it themselves, but a great challenge is with an expeditionary with quadriplegic disability, to finish the latest advice on buoyancy and on board the boats they are already on their way.

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A great tour, partly accompanied by dolphins that increase the excitement and good hope, between the nervousness, the beauty of the place and the care of the equipment, the degree of difficulty increases. It is very important that in the first dive 2 teams go out together, the challenge is for both guides and support divers, this first descent has been without setbacks, reaching a depth of 22m, but this is only the beginning.

Here a simple movement for any diver is a challenge for them.

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It is time to prepare for the second dive, the human team is divided into two, one in charge of reviewing all the material and another applied in the work of inclusion, the entire team of inclusive people needed a lot of coordination, there was a lot at stake, the safety of people with disabilities depended on the technical team, they all overcame these challenges full of satisfaction with the message of a great example in this first inclusive diving expedition.

 

Motorcycling without limits (Septiembre 2019)

This is the third great challenge of inclusion, 23 people with and without disabilities make the first inclusive ride on a motorcycle in the Mexican Republic, where the important message was transmitted in society: the motorcycle is for everyone and the disability condition does not determine what a person can or cannot do.

The preparation and training began on July 23, and it was not easy, many of the participants had never had any experience in motorcycling, however, all with great spirits and overcoming this first learning challenge were ready.

The starting flag of the «Rodada sin Límites» was on Sunday, September 1st, at 9:00 am at the Monument to the Revolution, located in the center of Mexico City from where they left to visit 11 States of Mexico.

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Practically everything was planned and contemplated in the logistics of the trip, but … many times the execution is not always perfect, for example, in a section planned to cover it in approximately 4 hours, it took them about 9 hours, solving incidents that arose during the route.

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After a month of being away from their homes and traveling approximately 3600km, they return to Mexico City, leaving great messages of overcoming, inclusion; after having created strong bonds of brotherhood between the inclusion ambassadors, forging them way by way along the more than 3,000 kilometers they have traveled.

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Finally, I want to share with all of you the decalogue of learning collected by Federico on the path of inclusion:

1. The summit is not reached, it is built
2. First the body, then the mind and then the spirit, is what allows you to reach the top
3. Step by Step and with the summit in your mind, you will arrive
4. To reach a great summit you have to cover great distances
5. Acclimatization is as important as condition
6. To get to the last camp and launch yourself from the summit, you must first go through the previous ones
7. The great peaks are reached as a team
8. If you stop looking at the ground and only see the top, you will fall
9. Your body, like your mind, respond to challenges that we do not imagine, we just have to train them
10. Inclusion means that you do not determine the potential of the other by his condition, but that the other car determines his own potential.
11. The Mountain as life is taken as it comes and you reach the summit only if you persist!!

 

I thank Fede, first for his invaluable friendship and of course for all his support in this note, for sharing these beautiful experiences and challenges and of course for all his inclusion work; Very soon there will be more news from Mexico Includes and its next challenge. Do you want to know what it will be? The surprise will soon be uncovered.

¡Juntos no hay imposibles!

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