A HUDDERSFIELD woman is getting on her bike to take part in the challenge of a lifetime.
Claire Leader is taking up the gruelling 300-mile cycle ride in America to raise cash for charity.
Claire, of Hangingstone Road, Berry Brow, aims to raise £3,000 from the ride from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon.
The cash will be given to a charity called Veninos.
It works in Venezuela to support street children and those living in shanty towns. It offers them an alternative to the gang culture that is rife in the country by paying for projects ranging from building work to educational programmes.
Claire will have to complete the tough desert challenge in scorching temperatures reaching over 90°F (32°C).
She is one of a group of 50 taking part, cycling for six days for at least six hours a day.
She will see some fantastic scenery on her trip as she rides over the Hoover Dam, alongside Lake Mead and along part of the famous Route 66.
Claire says she can’t wait to take up the once-in-a-lifetime challenge.
She said: “I saw the trip advertised and thought it sounded like an amazing challenge.
“It’s quite a big challenge for me, as I came back from Australia last year and I had picked up some sort of virus. I spent six weeks in hospital, six months off work and time in a wheelchair.
“I only came back to work in August last year, so to think that just over a year after recovering I would be putting myself up for a challenge like this is pretty good really!”
Claire has committed to raising at least £2,895 through the challenge, which starts on September 3, but hopes to raise a lot more and she is looking for sponsors to help her.
She is also collecting old mobile phones, clothes, curtains, bedding, shoes and handbags for the charity, as well as prizes for a raffle that she is planning to hold in aid of the trip.
To help Claire, visit her fundraising page at www.bmycharity.com/claire leader or email claire.leader1@ntl world.com
