I had a phone call on Monday morning from an elderly lady friend. She had fallen at home and asked if I could come to help her. She refused to phone for an ambulance as thought it a waste of their valuable time (she is also very stubborn). After asking her all the usual health questions I said that I’d be with her within 20 minutes.

I came out of my house and got into my car. I then was faced with a gentleman waving furiously at me and pointing towards the back of my car. I got out and was shocked to see that I not only had a punctured tyre but my wheel was completely mangled and the hub cab shattered to pieces. Some horror had obviously crashed into my wheel and driven off. I thanked the man for alerting me to the problem.

All I could think about was getting to my elderly friend and what state I was going to find her in.

I went back into my house, put on the new trainers I had bought the week before (that I had been admiring and putting off the start of my power walking as I felt that I really wouldn’t be able to walk fast and far) and decided I WOULD walk quickly to her as a cab would take some time in the rush hour. She is around an 8 minute drive from me but a 20/25 minute walk.

Anyway, I started the walk at fast speed and even though I found it quite difficult as it’s up hill, the thought of getting there for my friend gave me the STRENGTH to keep going.

I got to my friend in 20 minutes and thankfully she seemed fine but her ankle was swollen. I rang for a cab and got her seen to at hospital and all was well.

What I learnt from this was that sometimes we don’t realise our strength until there is a crisis of some sort….not just body strength but strength of mind too!