9:00 am, January 18, 2025
A BMW sales executive is to take on a mammoth 100km trek across the Sahara Desert in a bid to raise funds for charity.
Alison Prowse, of Bowker BMW Preston, is hoping to raise £3,000 by completing the challenge in Morocco this November in aid of breast cancer awareness charity ‘CoppaFeel!’.
It is a cause close to Prowse’s own heart after she overcame stage three breast cancer herself, having been diagnosed with the disease on 2020.
She is undertaking the challenge to mark the five-year anniversary of her diagnosis with the trek involving five days of walking through Morocco’s deserts, valleys, and gorges, culminating in camping under the stars with fellow participants.
Prowse said: ‘2020 was such a tough year for me, but I made it through thanks to so many people’s support.
‘This trek is my way of giving back. With it coinciding with the five years since my diagnosis, it will also be an important milestone for me personally.
‘I’ll be trekking across the desert and sleeping in the open. It will be tough but I am determined to make it.’
The itinerary includes climbing Djebel Zereg, known for its distinctive reddish-black volcanic rock, traversing the Tikertouachene River, and camping in the heart of the Moroccan desert.
The money raised will help CoppaFeel! with its mission to educate 18 to 24-year-olds on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
It is hoped that by empowering young people to seek medical advice early, the charity can help more people survive the disease.
Alison added: ‘CoppaFeel! is a cause close to my heart because early detection saved my life.
‘Every penny raised will help educate more young people and fund their vital work. It would mean the world if people could donate even the price of a coffee to help me reach my target.’
Anyone wishing to donate to the cause can do so here.
