“I was so glad I did sign up, it was genuinely life-changing.”

Following in Dad’s footsteps

George’s dad, Simon, supported charities throughout his life by taking on a whole host of physical challenges – from a sky dive to the national 3 peaks challenge. After a shock diagnosis of mesothelioma in 2022, Simon was cared for by the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice at Home team. To give back to the charity, his son, George, took part in our Trek Vietnam challenge in 2025. He’s now encouraging others to step out of their comfort zone and sign up for Trek China after finding his own experience to be ‘life-changing’.  

Simon’s shock diagnosis

“Dad’s diagnosis came completely out of the blue. It floored us all. In April 2022 he started experiencing some leg pain. Shortly afterwards, we were told he had mesothelioma – in the lining of his stomach.  

“We were all utterly shocked. After that he declined steadily until he sadly died, in August 2022.  

“In the weeks leading up to his death, he was cared for at home by the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice at Home team. It was Dad’s wish to die at home and with the help of the Rennie Grove Peace team, that became possible. The team was amazing at making sure he was comfortable at home. We had them on speed dial and knew we could contact them if we needed them.  

“The nurses also made planned visits and talked to us all about Dad’s care. They didn’t sugarcoat things. They were honest and upfront, which I found very helpful. But they delivered difficult news with skill and compassion.  

“When Dad reached the very end of his life, the Rennie Grove Peace team was there on the day he died. This meant a lot to us all. But their support didn’t end there. We were all offered bereavement support and the team checked in on my mum in the weeks after Dad died.” 

Signing up for Trek Vietnam

After Simon’s death George spotted Trek Vietnam in a Rennie Grove Peace newsletter. He had been looking for a way to give back to the charity and the challenge appealed to him as George and Simon had had ambitions to complete various world trips before Simon’s diagnosis. Despite reservations about the travel, the time away from home and the physical demands of the challenge, George signed up. Safe in the knowledge that Simon would be immensely proud of him.   

“I wanted to do something quite extreme. But I’m not really a thrill seeker! So Trek Vietnam looked perfect for me. I’ve always wanted to visit the country and I knew it would be enough outside my comfort zone – both physically and mentally – that it would be a real challenge.  

“I was so glad I did sign up. Because it was genuinely life-changing. It was intense, thrilling, hard work and bloody hot – pretty much in equal measure! 

“I’m normally a very anxious person but having the opportunity to do amazing things and meet amazing people really changed my whole perspective.  

“It was definitely one of the most physically and mentally challenging things I’ve ever done. The walking was tough. We walked up to eight hours per day and we were battling heat and dehydration. It was important to eat enough and sleep enough and the hiking was intense at times.  

Creating bonds to last a lifetime

“In our group there were walkers ranging in age from 19 to 84. People from all different walks of life. Many of the walkers had a personal connection to the charity and the whole experience just really bonded us. On the first day I stood up and showed the group a photo of my dad and explained why I was taking part in the walk. That was really emotional for me. Doing the challenge with such an incredible group of people who all had their own story and understood what I’d been through, made the whole thing an absolute pleasure. 

“We spent hours each day walking. So you would just find yourself beside someone in the group and strike up a conversation. You might be sharing stories or asking questions but all the while you were just getting to know a new, amazing group of people in the most incredible setting.  

“As part of the experience we spent two days working on a medical centre in Mai Châu. As a team we built a water tank for the facility, with very limited resources and tools. I certainly don’t have any experience of doing anything like that and I think a lot of the others didn’t, either. So pulling together to get the job done was really satisfying.  

“Something about being so far from home and having such a life-changing experience just really helped to clear my mind and focus on what’s important. I wanted to propose to my girlfriend this year and decided during the trip that I would propose as soon as I got back. So on the last day in Hanoi I went with some of the others in the group to buy a ring. As soon as I got home I proposed to my girlfriend, and we’re now planning our wedding.  

“I’d say to anybody thinking about signing up for Trek China – just do it. Don’t even think about it! It was such a wonderful, profound, enjoyable challenge and life-changing experience, I’d encourage anybody who has the chance to do it, to give it a go!