KULIM: Despite her age touching 42 years, her interest in extreme activities has not waned and it is in fact a side income for the single mother of three children in the past 10 years.
Fauziah Abdullah of Kampung Sungai Buluh, Sedim here is fondly called superwoman by local residents as she could challenge other men in guiding extreme sports activities such as mountain climbing, kayaking and cave exploration throughout the country.
She is working in a factory and became a part-time guider, skipper and rescuer to assist such sports enthusiasts pursue their missions and dreams.
“Every day I spend time in sports such as jogging to maintain my stamina and keep myself fit for the next booking especially during weekends and school holidays,” she said when met by Bernama in Sungai Sedim which is her venue for kayaking training when there is no booking for guider.
She said she charges RM150 per participant for kayaking, RM50 to RM200 (mountain climbing) for a group and RM35 per person (cave exploration), and in a month she could supplement her income by another RM1,000 to RM1,200 from providing these services.
“The rate is dependent on the location, duration and situation as at times, I have to be away for several days, while I also have to be prepared for any potential risks or possibilities for it is an inevitable responsibility, a guider or rescuer has to face.
“Luckily, in my more than 10 years’ experience in extreme sports, I have managed to attend to such situations with the assistance of my colleagues who all men,” she said.
Fauziah said it is a big challenge when leading an amateur team as they are inexperience and may lack training.
“I need to be prepared for contingencies by carrying a first aid box and learn to dispense first aid as participants may occasionally faint and experience muscle pull,” she said.
According to her, as a key person in each extreme activity, she has also built good rapport with the Fire and Rescue Department, police and Civil Defence Force.
“I myself is also a volunteer in search and rescue mission to look for missing persons and assist in drowning cases, and quite frequently I have to attend to participants getting injured or suffering from breathlessness.
“I have also taken formal classes in first aid which is a requirement as a member of the Sedim Guider group,” she said. – Bernama
