Looking Back
Having visited Prague to meet family connections, there was always something keeping me away from visiting Terezin, or any other place. I didn’t want to be traumatised. So combining the concept of a physical challenge with a visit seemed to be a safer route.
My trusted friends, Jure, a Slovenian born Charity Adventure co-ordinator and renowned Sunday Times photographer Howard, agreed to accompany me on this journey. After we had planned the route, it was obvious we were on to a special experience, not just a look back at atrocities, but the opportunity to decompress afterwards, and let the mind and body work in unison to avoid re-traumatisation.
The adventure was going to be two-directional (Prague to Terezin, and back) 180km half on bikes and half on foot. The aim was to document what we saw, how we felt and how our minds responded, and to one day have the confidence to take groups on the route.
We had focused so much on the route planning that we hadn’t mentally prepared ourselves for the visit to Terezin itself, however, instinctively we knew that we should plan a route that walked away from that place towards Bohemia.
Mission accomplished, Regenesis now had enough experience and material to move forwards and plan out first public expedition.
