“You catch me within the mountains,” replies Joan Gómez Bonamusa when selecting up the cellphone for this interview. It’s not onerous to seek out it there. This resident of Callús, close to Manresa, has got down to climb the Collbaix hill 1,200 occasions, with a 240-meter drop, earlier than the tip of the 12 months. The private problem desires to make seen, on the similar time, the combat towards ALS. On December 31 at 12 midday, he’ll undertake his final ascent of 2022 and he hopes that a number of neighbors will be part of him. He has already obtained the assist of personalities reminiscent of Pep Guardiola and has devoted it to sufferers reminiscent of Juan Carlos Unzué, identified with this ailment. It all began a 12 months in the past, when he needed to equal the mark of one other neighbor who had uploaded it 250 occasions.
Question: How many ascents do you are taking to the Collbaix hill?
Answer: I’ve 1,112 uploads, I’ve 88 left for December 31. At 12 midday I’ll do the final ascent and everybody who desires to enroll is invited.
A: I used to play sports activities and in October of final 12 months I had a motorcycle accident and I broke six ribs and my clavicle. I regarded for an additional self-discipline and so they advised me {that a} boy had climbed the Collbaix hill 500 occasions. I assumed I would not get that far, so I set myself the problem of 250 ascents in 2022. I began on January 6 and on the finish of March I reached it, so I stored climbing, in June I reached 500. I got down to attain a thousand after which to 1,200. As I went up I assumed that I ought to assist somebody and the combat towards ALS occurred to me as a result of it is likely one of the minority ailments that I’m closest to.
Q: Does the illness contact you carefully?
A: Yes, I’ve a really shut good friend who’s affected by it. But my message is just not solely the combat towards ALS. There are many minority ailments and I wish to convey that everybody can contribute their grain of sand on this combat.
Q: What has your good friend advised you?
A: He is tremendous proud. He says that he encourages individuals to do issues for others. And I’m very pleased with what I’m doing as a result of I did not even assume I used to be able to it.
Q: How a lot cash have you ever raised?
A: About 3,000 euros. I promote t-shirts for 12 euros and I additionally provide area on the again of the shirt for whoever desires to sponsor it, for 200 euros per emblem. I’ve about 36 sponsors however there’s room for 50 and I’ll have bought 120 shirts. The best could be to promote 1,200, it will be a spherical quantity.
Q: What is the journey to the Collbaix hill like?
A: I depart a car parking zone in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada and go as much as the flag. They are 980 meters away with 240 meters of unevenness. It is a stony kind, you go up the place you’ll be able to. Every time I am going up I take a selfie. According to Strava (a social community for athletes) I’ve amassed 225,000 meters of unevenness in a single 12 months. On common, I add it between 20 and 35 minutes. I’ve managed to run down it in 5 minutes, but when I did it each time I am going up I’d have run out of ankles. I’m 50 years previous.
Q. With 365 that you’ve a 12 months, you give a mean of virtually 4 day by day ascents.
A. It relies on the day. I’ve counted that I’ve been 80 days with out going up, for holidays and different causes. Last Sunday I uploaded it 10 occasions and my document is in a day that I uploaded it 16 occasions. Two weeks in the past I had a sprain and I used to be unemployed for 3 days. This final month I’ve it very effectively deliberate to achieve the thirty first calmly.
Q: What is your routine lately?
A: Now I am going up at 9 within the morning when the solar rises. At the second we’re at 0 levels and in summer time it was at 38ºC. There are days that I stand up at 4:30 within the morning to work. I’m a contract graphic designer, fortunately I do not lack work however it’s important to mix every part.
Q: Don’t you get bored all the time doing the identical path?
A: I’d get extra bored on a gymnasium machine. The mountain adjustments daily. the place the solar rises, in the future a roe deer passes, one other a hedgehog. Boredom is psychological.
Q: What has Joan gained this 12 months?
A: Physically I’m a lot better. I’ve misplaced 15 or 20 kilos, my legs are like rocks and my coronary heart is stronger. And mentally I really feel able to doing something. I’ve gained a reference to life, you’re conscious that we’re passing by way of and we should take extra benefit of life and what nature gives us, like watching the solar rise. I really feel extra optimistic.
Q: You have obtained the endorsement of celebrities.
Yes, of Rafa Martínez (former ACB participant), Pep Guardiola, I’ll publish a photograph with Carles Checa shortly. They are all essential however for me a very powerful has been that of Guardiola as a result of he has echoed extra.
Q: What will the climb on the thirty first be like?
A: I’m simply saying that whoever desires to accompany me, be part of me. I do not know if it will likely be 10 individuals or 100. I wish to go up and the individuals who accompany me to put on the solidarity shirt. I do not arrange something, no celebration. Let individuals present that they’re able to doing issues for others.
Q: Do you’ve any challenges deliberate for subsequent 12 months?
A: Perhaps a Camino de Santiago from finish to finish, climbing peaks of three,000… I can consider fairly a couple of however now I take pleasure in this which could be very huge. It encourages me to see that individuals purchase the shirt, to consider what is going to occur on the thirty first. From the thirty first, I’ll do one thing.
The buy of solidarity t-shirts will be executed by sending an e-mail to: [email protected].