A pair of friends have raised more than £12,000 for charity by taking part in a car rally through the African desert.
Born-and-bred Chalfont St Peter resident William Davies and his friend Duncan Kite were both looking for an adventure to spice up their lives. When they found out about the Panda Raid, an annual 3,000km race across the Sahara desert in first-generation Fiat Pandas with no GPS or sat nav, they decided to take on the challenge.
Although William says there was an element of the “mid-life crisis cliché”, the pair are also raising significant funds for Alzheimer’s Research. Both William and Duncan’s fathers were affected by the disease, so the charity is close to their hearts. So far, the pair have raised more than £12,800.
He said: “People have been really generous, in part because they are intrigued by the challenge.”
The pair travelled to Almería in Spain on March 1, before going on to North Morocco, where the race begins, via ferry.
The race takes place over seven days. Upon finishing each daily stage, competitors set up camp and rest before starting again the next day.
The pair will have to carry all their own kit including sleeping bags, a tent, water, tools and shovels. Together, they must rely on a compass and map to navigate their way through the Sahara.
Speaking ahead the trip, William said: “The navigation will be hard, but our biggest priority is wanting the car to finish – we’re hoping it will be robust enough to survive. Besides that, I hope we don’t get any scorpions in our tent!”
To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/page/william-duncan-panda-raid24
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