Hazel Cottrell, the Director here at Creative Content Company turns 30 this year and decided to take on the challenge of 12 months and 12 charities. This began with the Dryathalon for Cancer Research, joining 54,000 other people for one whole month of no alcohol.
Here’s how she got on with it;
“I didn’t think I drank that much, I figured it was a glass of wine over a meal with friends here, a night out with mates there – but really nothing major. I don’t drink alone at home so I was keen to take on this as a mini challenge to start the year, nothing to tricky but a really good way of raising awareness and raising some money too.
As the days went on I was really struggling, I’ve been enjoying snowballs (very 80s) with friends and suddenly these had to stop. Every time I opened the fridge door the bottle of advocat and some cherries were sat waiting for me to add lemonade and lime cordial – but I couldn’t do it.
Then it was networking, without even realising I was having a small glass of wine at evening networking events, this was changing to diet cokes which isn’t great as I’m trying to cut down on fizzy drinks so I was opting for J20s or very childish blackcurrant and waters. Not many business people at networking events opt for ‘ribena’ on a work night. This ‘no alcohol’ routine was doing my street cred no favours.
I went to one of my favourite restaurants, The Black Bull in Brampton. It’s really good pub-grub food and they do the most amazing alcoholic ice creams you’ve ever known. We’re talking Amaretto and white chocolate, mint and Tia Maria, rum and raisin, Baileys and Maltesers – I went their twice in January and had to turn the fabulous ice cream down, it was the ice cream that nearly broke me.
As the days were going past and 1st February was fast-approaching I was getting a spring in my step, I couldn’t wait to taste some delicious alcohol again. I was amazed how much a challenge the Dryathalon turned out to be and for this reason I would like to ask, very nicely, if you could sponsor me – my JustGiving page is still open and here is the link;
https://www.justgiving.com/Hazel-Cottrell-dryathlete2015
Don’t forget to keep coming back to see what other challenges we have going on, it’s one charity a month until December 2015!
