Pivotal Moments Part 4

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Some years back I went hiking with Dad and his friend. We walked up a part of Penang Hill, to a checkpoint known as No. 3. It is a popular trail among hikers and you can reach the shelter within 30 minutes of moderate walking.

I have climbed this trail before so I knew it wasn't particularly hard. That might be the reason why I pushed myself to walk fast on that fateful day. I have heard how we must push ourselves beyond our limit in order to achieve greatness, and I think that's what I was trying to do.

By the time I reached the No. 3 shelter I was panting heavily and felt out of breath. Dad had kept up with me so he was walking around the shelter. There were many people and I just leaned on a pole to get some rest.

Next thing I knew I was looking up at many concerned faces. I felt dizzy but I could hear people giving medical advice such as "lift his head up", "bring some water", "anyone has some medicated oil?". I think Dad was talking to me, but I'm not sure now. It was very obvious, however, that I blacked out.

I felt very embarassed as people were giving me so much attention. I was forced to drink down a glass of warm water and change into a dry t-shirt helpfully offered by someone. From what Dad said later, my head narrowly missed some rocks. He wasn't around when I fainted but he noticed a commotion nearby and was shocked to see me on the ground with my lips turning blue.

I still am freaked out by the accident. It has made me even more cautious when it comes to physical activities. Though I have a large build I am not particularly strong so the fainting left a very deep impression. Till today, I am very reluctant to go for outdoor activities that require lots of strain, like hiking Mount Kinabalu. Even when it comes to lifting heavy boxes, I prefer to let someone else do it (because of my back problem). But that's for another post.