A mother’s love is stronger than just about anything, and North London mum Talya Richman proved that by undertaking the challenge of a lifetime: climbing all 15 Welsh peaks above 3000ft in under 24 hours to raise money for the charity that supports her son.
The 32-year-old raised nearly £2000 for Camp Simcha, which has been helping Levi, nine, and his family since he was diagnosed with epilepsy aged five.
Speaking to the JC after her challenge, she said: “It’s incredible what a positive, determined mindset can achieve. I tell Levi this all the time: there is nothing he is not capable of.”
Richman, who climbed with two colleagues and a friend, started her challenge from the summit of the highest mountain, Snowdon, soon after 4am. They completed the challenge, which required them to be constantly on the move, 20 hours 24 minutes - and roughly 53 kilometres - later.
Hiking the first and final few hours of the challenge in total darkness, with the mountain path lit only by the wavering light of her head torch, the group faced difficult weather conditions. “We had all the gear but were not prepared for the 50-60mph winds and heavy rain, making the steps, the scrambling, and the climbing so much more difficult.”
Talya Richman during the challenge (Photo: Handout)
Richman, who works for an architectural company, had prepared her body as much as possible during the six months leading up to the challenge, but the real battle, she explained, took place in her mind.
“I found myself saying over and over again: ‘Talya, you got this, you can do it’ to override all the negative thoughts that were taking over.”
“Before we were about to climb Crib Goch to reach our third summit, due to the weather, it was bordering the impassable, but with ropes and additional safety, we were able to do so.”
According to Epilepsy Action, one in every 220 children under the age of 18 will be diagnosed with epilepsy. Levi had endured febrile convulsions as an infant, said Talya, but she never imagined her son would begin suffering epileptic seizures.
The diagnosis, which Talya refers to as “the day our world changed”, led her and her husband, Dov, to seek support from Camp Simcha, whose staff provides practical and therapeutic support to seriously ill children. “They have utterly changed our lives, for all three of us. It’s been unbelievable what they’ve offered and what it has done for us as a family.”
Talya Richman undertook the challenge in under 24 hours (Photo: Handout)
Nowadays, Talya said her son is doing well, thanks to a new medication, which is helping to control his seizures. “You can see he’s different from the other kids, but he really tries, and we’re so, so proud of him.”
Although the Welsh 3000s challenge was strenuous and at times frightening, Talya said she would be keen to do another, so long as it does not require hiking at four o’clock in the morning.
“There were lots of highs as well as lows: the laughter, the jokes, the team, the clear headspace. That feeling of being alone in the mountains is something like no other. Knowing that I was using this challenge to raise money for Camp Simcha made every struggle easier. It put everything into perspective.”
