In November 2023, a group of fundraisers travelled to Costa Rica to take part in a trek to raise money for MQ Mental Health Research. The 2023 trek raised a total of £42,104.39, money that will go towards funding vital research into mental illness.
Taking on a challenge can be positive for mental well-being and travel can often be positive for mental health too but when travel combined with taking on a challenge also raises vital funds for research into mental health, the benefits to us all soar sky high.
MQ’s Mark Drain, pictured above in the centre and who took part in the trek, tells us about the experience, the preparation required and how you can have a similar experience yourself in 2024.
Mark, tell us about the trek. It sounds fantastic!
The trek was part of our charity of the year partnership with Deutsche Bank. We had 20 employees sign up and take part and, as the charity representative, I had the great privilege of taking part in this once in a lifetime experience.
The trek took us 5 days, we covered 87km through many different terrains, through jungles, rivers and roads. We finished the trek on the beach.
I would highly recommend going to Costa Rica as a country to visit, I have never taken so many scenery photos. Every turn we took, there was a new view that was spectacular.
Where did you go during the trek?
We flew into San Jose in Costa Rica and on the 2nd day we drove to our start point which was at Cerro Frio at just under 3500 metres above sea level. It was an amazing place to start the trek with views for miles. Over the next 5 days, we descended now to sea level, but we also climbed another 2000 metres, so we ended up descending just over 5000 metres to Dominical which is a lovely little beach town.
What were the highlights of the experience?
There were so many highlights on this trip and it’s hard to narrow it down. What really sticks out for me, however, is the team who were amazing, truly some of the nicest and best people to have met. Everyone was so encouraging and motivating, all of us united by having a connection to lived experience of mental health challenges.
The other highlight was finishing the trek. After all the jungles, the mud and the river crossings, it was amazing to finish to at the beach on the Pacific Ocean in Dominical.
Were there any low points and how did you train?
There weren’t many low points on the trip for me personally. There were a couple of tough times on the 4th day which was the longest and hardest day of the trek. We had some very steep climbs in temperatures of 32 degrees at 90% humidity so halfway up the 2nd climb it started to get to me. But the team of people I was with were able to keep me motivated and so I pushed through.
Training for this trek was slightly difficult as where I live is very flat, so I decided to walk every weekend but do 6-9 miles to get miles on my feet for the long days ahead. The team planned a walk around the south downs and London which were both very well attended and started to build a great team spirit.
What were the rest of the group like?
All the trekkers for this particular excursion worked at Deutsche Bank. About half the group have done previous treks before so knew each other already. The ones that hadn’t done a trek before all took everything in their stride and felt straight at home with everyone.
The group were amazing, the team spirit was incredible, and I was so proud to be part of this team.
Would you do another trek?
I would 100% do another trek, it is such an amazing experience that I hope to have once again. There are few places I would like to go as I have already been researching them. You get to visit parts of the world that aren’t filled with tourists and experience the culture of all these wonderful countries.
If anyone reading this wants to do a trek, or raise money for MQ Mental Health Research another way, what advice do you have?
We have another trek coming up in 2024, this time in Iceland. If you want to get involved in our future treks, please visit the MQ webpage or fill in the form here.
The advice I would offer to future trekkers is to make sure you have got comfortable clothing and footwear, plenty of snacks and, most importantly, just do it! There isn’t a better feeling than completing a challenge like this.
However, if a trek isn’t for you, then you can either take part in a running event or you could hold your own event.
Whatever you choose we will be on hand to support you through your journey.
Thanks to Mark for sharing his story. You can find out more about fun ways to raise money for MQ Mental Health by clicking this link here.
