Extreme ride for child welfare

THREE women and one man will take part in a gruelling 24-hour cycling marathon between Windhoek and Swakopmund on December 15.

The riders will cover 337 km via the rugged Uis Pass to collect money for the Children in the Wilderness Trust. The event will be extremely challenging, as it is held in the hottest month of the year and over difficult terrain.Another challenge is the time limit, which means that teams need to continue cycling throughout the night.The Desert Daisy and Pendoring Team consists of Nico van der Merwe, Birgit Bekker, Daleen Steyn and Christine Thirion.For the first 30-km stage, all cyclists will ride together to the top of the Kupferberg Pass.Van der Merwe will then take on the first individual stage, which will be the longest and hottest part of the ride over the Uis Pass.Bekker will ride the next stage, with Steyn doing most of the night section.Thirion will ride the last stage through the Namib Desert towards the coast.The Children in the Wilderness Trust is a non-profit organisation that works in partnership with Wilderness Safaris to restore a sense of hope and purpose in orphans and vulnerable children.Since 2002 Children in the Wilderness has conducted 16 wilderness camps and taken 400 children through the programme.People who would like to enter for the ride can contact Rica Blaauw at (061) 27 4560.The event will be extremely challenging, as it is held in the hottest month of the year and over difficult terrain.Another challenge is the time limit, which means that teams need to continue cycling throughout the night.The Desert Daisy and Pendoring Team consists of Nico van der Merwe, Birgit Bekker, Daleen Steyn and Christine Thirion.For the first 30-km stage, all cyclists will ride together to the top of the Kupferberg Pass.Van der Merwe will then take on the first individual stage, which will be the longest and hottest part of the ride over the Uis Pass.Bekker will ride the next stage, with Steyn doing most of the night section.Thirion will ride the last stage through the Namib Desert towards the coast.The Children in the Wilderness Trust is a non-profit organisation that works in partnership with Wilderness Safaris to restore a sense of hope and purpose in orphans and vulnerable children.Since 2002 Children in the Wilderness has conducted 16 wilderness camps and taken 400 children through the programme.People who would like to enter for the ride can contact Rica Blaauw at (061) 27 4560.