A golfer at Helsby Golf Club has cycled the Great Wall of China to raise money for charity

Feb 17 2011 by Rachel Flint, Chester Chronicle

A GOLF enthusiast has saddled up to cover 420 km of China in aid of charity.

Rachel Steven, 57, a member of Helsby Golf Club, joined up with 90 other women in Beijing, China, to embark upon an epic bike ride through difficult terrain and weather conditions.

The ride raised £2,000 in aid of the Genesis Research Trust, a charity who conduct research on women and baby's health issues.

Each day Rachel, from Manley, would rise at 5.30 am in order to cycle for up to 10 hours daily, before reaching the next place of rest, which often embodied hard beds and cockroach-infested bathrooms.

The terrain ranged from cycle paths in urban China to long climbs on country roads.

The weather was cold, misty and drizzly, which was particularly disheartening when cycling close to the Great wall of China, through what Rachel describes as ‘some of the most beautiful landscape in the world’, as visibility was limited to only 50 yards.

Rachel said; “It was a fantastic achievement to raise £2,000 for this very worthy cause”.

Genesis Research Trust raises money for the largest UK-based collection of scientists who are researching the causes and cures for conditions that affect the health of women and babies.