#50 - The Drop Zone!

I woke up excited! Today was the day...

Today I would be rappelling down Hill Tower II as part of The Prairie Chickens team. The rappel would be the culmination of months of fundraising for Camp Easter Seal.

As I got ready and donned my prairie chicken ensemble, I realized I wasn't fearful at all. I was full of anticipation for the adventure of a lifetime the day would bring!

We had chosen to do our rappels in the morning. There was no need to have all day to rehearse the event over and over in our minds or to watch others as they got geared up, completed one final practice run and then rappelled. I hadn't come to be an observer; I wanted to get up on the roof, do my rappel and then enjoy the rest of the day.

The Prairie Chickens (L to R): Melinda Lalach, Jill Laycock, Bobbie Sevenster

Fast-forward through the next couple of hours. We signed in, waited our turn, got geared up, did our final practice run, and finally were ushered into an elevator and made our way out onto the rooftop - what a view!

We then waited to be called over one by one closer to the edge of the building where the rappelling equipment was set up and where SWAT team members were ready to guide us through each step of the process.

It was my turn. I walked towards the railing. My harness and knots were double- and triple-checked - good!

Then began the hardest part of the day - climbing over the railing of the roof of the building. Every single cell of my brain seemed to be telling me, "Don't do it! Danger! Danger! Warning! This is completely unnatural!" The two SWAT guys kept me at ease and gave crystal-clear instructions. I was literally on the edge - of a building!

Look at that focus, the concentration!

I really (REALLY!) did not want to let go, but in order to move forward in life (which in this case meant down), you have to let go of what you're holding on to. I did and the fun began!

Surprisingly, it wasn't hard at all. I zipped down about 10 floors before I realized I should slow down a bit, take in the view and enjoy the ride (as this likely was not going to happen again).

Prior to the big day, we were all asked to choose a song that would be played as we rappelled. I chose Mandisa's Overcomer. The lyrics of the chorus are:

You're an overcomer
Stay in the fight 'til the final round
You're not going under
'Cause God is holding you right now
You might be down for a moment
Feeling like it's hopeless
That's when he reminds you
That you're an overcomer
You're an overcomer

I was enjoying my descent so much I didn't want the rappel to be over, but all good things must come to an end...

Before and after we rappelled, The Prairie Chickens were interviewed by a journalist who then wrote this awesome article: Easter Seals fundraiser a chance to do good and take a leap of faith

It was an amazing experience, and I'm so glad I took this opportunity to rappel down one of Regina's tallest buildings! Talk about a year of redemption... I feel like I can do anything now!