Hilda Bester climbed Mauao for the 1000th time accompanied by Jeremy Whimster and Terry Kehely. Photo / Sandra Conchie
Hilda Bester climbed Mauao for the 1000th time accompanied by Jeremy Whimster and Terry Kehely. Photo / Sandra Conchie
Hilda Bester has ticked a "dream come true" off her bucket list by climbing Mauao 1000 times before her 70th birthday.
The 69-year-old retired music teacher from Pāpāmoa Beach reached the summit for the 1000th time yesterday with two fellow members of the Wesley Walkers group.
Bester said the initial dream goal was to climb Mauao a mere 64 times by her 64th birthday on July 29, 2017. But after reaching that milestone, she thought: "Why stop"?
"My next dream was to climb Mauao 500 times by my 70th birthday next year, but then I thought to myself why not make it 1000 times?", she said.
However, along the way to achieving her "dream", Bester was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in March 2020, which had also spread to her lymph nodes.
Bester was "absolutely shocked" as she didn't have any pain.
Despite her "gruelling" and stressful cancer journey, which included several sessions of chemotherapy and major surgery, and the initial Covid-19 lockdown, Bester beat the odds.
In September 2020, her oncologist informed her she was cancer-free.
"I was really amazed and slowly started to pursue my dream again. I was so grateful to be able to take a few deep breaths again and make it to the summit. It was wonderful for me.
"I slowly and gradually increased my walks to the top of Mauao to three to five times a week and the last few weeks, some days I walked up and back three times a day.
Pāpāmoa Beach retiree Hilda Bester has achieved her goal of climbing Mauao 1000 times before she turned 70. Photo / Sandra Conchie
"This was my dream rather than a challenge, and I get so much enjoyment from these walks, being one with nature and all stresses of the day tend to disappear.
"There is nothing like being out in the fresh air and having the sun on your face."
Bester said sometimes when she walks along the Mauao track, she has sheep for companions and hearing the birds twitter and the waves crashing on the rocks below was "magical".
"Doing something like this is amazing for your mental health and you can face the challenges life throws at you so much easier.
"It's wonderful for your wellbeing and good for your soul.
"For me, it's been quite [the] tonic and today my dream has come true.
"It's important to seize the day, Carpe Diem, and make the most of each day.
Bester said she has had amazing support from her family and friends, including her two companions Terry Kehely and Jeremy Whimster, who joined her for her 1000th climb.
Kehely, 82, said: "I think Hilda is amazing to even want to take on this challenge and to smash it ahead of time is fantastic. She is an inspiration to us all."
