ENDURANCE WALKING: UNDAUNTED by the prospect of blisters, sleep deprivation and dehydration, Nathalie Rees is about to put her best foot forward for a marathon 24-hour walk.
The gruelling 100k course - to and from Bornem in her native Belgium - is cheerfully known in Flemish as Dodentocht, or Death Hike. Although it attracts thousands of keen walkers every year, only half pass the finishing line.
This is the fourth time Hoole resident Nathalie, who is a senior careers information assistant at University College Chester, has entered the event. Her last attempt in 2003 ended in victory, battling heat exhaustion in temperatures of more than 35 degrees, an injured knee and sore feet.
Coming from a walking and cycling family, and a regular entrant in the Wirral Bikeathon in aid Cancer Research UK, she decided to use the experience to raise more money for charity.
She said: 'Basically, I'm doing the Death Hike because it's there and to have the satisfaction of completing such a daunting task. But I will also be raising funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (www.laf.org), its cancer awareness programmes and research.
'The Hike is not officially sponsored but Lance Armstrong is someone I greatly admire for beating cancer to compete in the Tour de France, so I wanted his organisation to benefit.'
Although mentally and physically challenging, Nathalie says a positive attitude and the backing of the crowd, lining the route from its start at 9pm, help enormously.
She added: 'The atmosphere, with bands playing outside even in the middle of the night and people shouting encouragement, keeps you going through the checkpoints, where each walker's barcode is scanned to prove the distance has been covered.'
Currently spending weekends training over 20-40 miles, Nathalie is building up her fitness levels in time for the Hike on August 12 and drumming up support from colleagues and businesses.
For information about sponsoring Nathalie, call 01244 375444 ext 3066, 01244 319161 or e-mail n.rees@chester.ac.uk
