Instead of sitting out my 2 week hotel quarantine in Taipei with my nose pressed against a window, dreaming of the Outside, I will try to walk 5 miles a day, in my room, on the spot. I will keep fit, stay cheerful and fundraise for Harry and the Lily Foundation. What could go wrong?

I want to raise funds for The Lily Foundation because my excellent nephew Harry has Mitochondrial Disease and benefits from the work this charity does. Read more about Harry's story here:  https://www.thelilyfoundation.org.uk/news/happy-harry/ 

The Lily Foundation aims to give hope, answers and support to the many other children and families that face the challenges of this disease today. Every twenty minutes a child is born who will develop Mitochondrial Disease by the age of 16. 

THE PLAN: 

The challenge begins on 30th January 2022. I'm travelling from London to Taipei on 28th January. Due to the pandemic there is a 14 day traveller isolation quarantine on arrival. So here's the training plan:

Week 1: Seven days in isolation in hotel room quarantine, (no outdoor exercise). I will start the walking challenge on 30th January! I will stream my stepping and hotel room disco activities online, connect to Strava and post some thrilling workout stats. Due to the 8 hour time difference, my live streams might be in the middle of the night for UK based sponsors. Hopefully indoors, on-the-spot 5 mile a day stumbles will help some British insomniacs nod off. I will probably be quite tired and grumpy sometimes. 

Week 2: Transferring by quarantine taxi to an apartment. Seven days inside, no outdoor exercise (because still a week to go of the quarantine). 10,000 steps/5 miles a day in the flat from 4th-10th February. I will stream some live stuff. 

Bonus hike?!  Taiwan also requires me to do a third week of "self health management" (12th - 19th February). In this week I can go OUTSIDE, but must avoid crowds. If I manage to hit my fundraising target by 12th, I will do a week of daily climbs up the local volcano "Elephant Mountain," as a bonus challenge. Instead of hotel walls, I will be surrounded by subtropical jungle, overlooking the skyscrapers of Taipei. Might even see some butterflies...

Look out for the photos and videos of the hotel quarantine challenge on my social media feed. I am crossing all my fingers things go according to plan, and have followed all the sensible pandemic precautions including plenty of PCRs, AZs and a Moderna.

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