Anja's desert adventure will raise money for Cancer Research

A FORMER Barnard Castle School pupil is taking on the blistering heat of the Sahara Desert to raise money for Cancer Research.

Anja Madhvani will compete in the Marathon Des Sables endurance race next April where temperatures can reach 50 degrees celsius and dip below freezing at night.

The 27-year-old is aiming to raise £9,000 for Cancer Research Yorkshire by completing the 156-mile Moroccan trail with just a backpack for company.

She admitted that her mum, who lives in East Layton, was a bit angry when she first found out about her plans.

“At first she said you’re an idiot – why have you done this?” said Ms Madhvani.

“We had a good chat about it and now she is on board – she checks in to see I have been training properly. She is great.”

Ms Madhvani went to school in Teesdale before going to work in the beer industry.

But the freelance journalist hit a tough spell in her life when her work-life balance fell out of kilter.

Fatigued, stressed and unhealthy, she decided to pull herself out her spiral by taking on endurance challenges.

She said: “I was unhappy – I’d started smoking and I was not very healthy. I thought maybe I should just do it as something to work towards.”

Ms Madhvani promised herself should would take on the Marathon Des Sables after her cousin completed the race in 2011 and booked herself in.

Now living in Leeds, she has raised money for Cancer Research completing a Tough Mudder and the Yorkshire Three Peaks in recent months.

“A lot of people about my age have had cancer,” she added

“Thankfully a lot have been okay but, sadly, some have not. It was just seeing them cope with it living away from home and working in quite intense jobs.

“It’s always been something I’ve wanted to support.”

Despite a “love-hate relationship” with running, Ms Madhvani said she hoped to complete the six-day race in good time.

A vast team of volunteers hand out water, painkillers and help set up camps for competitors at each stage.

However, the 80km fourth stage of the ultra marathon was a daunting prospect.

Ms Madhvani added: “We will be running in the dark and I’m quite scared of the dark.

“I think it will be one of those experiences where you will probably feel like you are going completely crazy at some points.

“But I don’t do things by half and I enjoy that feeling when you manage it. I’m just excited – I’m going to see some amazing things and push my mind and body to the limit.”

To donate to Ms Madhvani’s fundrasing page, go to https://mds.everydayhero.com/uk/anja-runs-crawls-marathon-des-sables