I would be grateful and delighted if you could consider
supporting my mission for 2008 My aim is to complete the Marathon Des Sables
and raise £5,000 for Facing Africa
 I am 38 years old and work as a part time GP in Blackburn, Lancashire. My second job, though unpaid is being a mother to two lovely boys, Jean-Pierre and Sebastian who are now six and nine years old. I was born in South Africa but have been in the UK now for more that ten years. Running has been a part of my life from being only little; helping and later joining my dad who was and still is a keen marathon and ultra marathon runner himself. We have completed 5 x Comrades Marathons, an 89km race from Durban to Pietermaritzberg and 2 x Two Oceans Marathons, the 56Km race in South Africa between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Races like the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon which I ran earlier this year are for fun!!
 The Marathon Des Sables seems to me a fascinating and enduring race in an amazing place. To participate will be tough in many ways but a definite dream come true. Even more so by doing it for a good cause.
I have adapted my running programme by adding more off road sessions, hill sessions and core strength training on top of increasing the distances covered. I currently do all my training sessions with my ruck sack to get used to carrying the 9 kilograms required. I hope to get some training sessions or races done in South Africa to prepare me for the heat exposure of the Sahara Desert.
Although I've been in the UK for a long time, I am still African at heart. I can compare the difference in medical treatments available in Africa and the UK having worked in both countries and I know of the desperate need for help. My heart goes out to the mums who see their children affected by Cancrum Oris, being left with gaping wounds in their faces... If I could make a difference to even just one, it will be worth it.
If you can help me raise money to help the children of Africa, please fill in the sponsorship form at the bottom of this page. Alternatively if you would like to provide sponsorship for some of the equipment I will need for the race, please email me.
Costs for competing in the race:
- Registration Fee: £2,500
- Equipment (shoes, ruck sack, clothes, sleeping bag): £500
- Food: £100
- Telecommunication: £100
- Medical kit: £50
- Survival Pack (anti-venum pump, signaling mirror, compass, torch, whistle): £100
- Cooking equipment: £50
- Predicted total: £3,400
|
The dates for 2008 are 28th March to 6th April. Runners need to be self-sufficient with only water supplied along the course and tents at night. The terrain covered is a variety of sand dunes, rocky desert and stony ground.
Last year the distances were as follows:
who are malnourished and debilitated by other illnesses like measles. The infection spreads very quickly and after a few days, facial gangrene develops and in weeks the lips, cheek, nose and jaw are eaten away leaving unsightly gaping holes in the faces of the victims.
According to the WHO, 140,000 new cases of Noma occur each year.