Ely Man Hoping To Raise �5,000 For Help For Heroes After Desert Trek

AN Ely man is hoping to collect more than �5000 for charity after walking for 100km across the Sahara Desert. Clive Whitford battled searing 40-degree temperatures and a bout of gastro enteritis to complete the daring feat, which saw him travel across som

AN Ely man is hoping to collect more than �5000 for charity after walking for 100km across the Sahara Desert.

Clive Whitford battled searing 40-degree temperatures and a bout of gastro enteritis to complete the daring feat, which saw him travel across some of the world's most unforgiving terrain in six days.

50-year-old Clive, who runs a plumbers merchant business in Witchford, decided to take on the challenge in late November and is hoping to donate �5000 to the Help for Heroes charity which cares for wounded servicemen.

Mr Whitford has a son, daughter-in-law and stepson who are all serving members of the army and he revealed that the good work that they are doing convinced him to take on the challenge,

"A lot of good that is unreported is happening out in Afghanistan and I did this both to raise money for the charity and to raise awareness of the positive side of the conflict amongst friends and colleagues," said Clive.

The challenge began in Ouazazate, Morocco and saw a team of fund-raisers embark on the 100km walk across the Sahara Desert in six days. Mr Whitford began training for the walk back in May 2009, and would regularly do 20-mile training runs on weekend mornings.

"The high point of the trek was seeing the sun rise over the desert on the final day and knowing the end was in sight. The low point was dealing with the gastro enteritis. I lost a stone in weight but managed to keep going, in between dashing behind a dune with toilet roll in hand!"

To make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/clivewhitford.

8955: Clive Whitford with the boots that took him across more than 100km of the Sahara Desert. Photo: HELEN DRAKE.