Published: Tuesday, 16th October, 2007 12:30
Sandy's revving up for Arican trip
By Tracey Bryce
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Motorcyclist Sandy Eccles gets in gear for Africa
POWMILL biker Sandy Eccles will swap number crunching for rev counting next month as he sets off on the ride of his life.
The 38-year-old will spend over a week riding across the rugged terrain of South Africa, as he embarks on a 2500 km charity motorbike ride along the country’s famous Wild Coast.
And he can’t wait to get his leathers on and get out there.
Sandy told the Advertiser, “I’ve never been abroad on a bike before, so I’m really looking forward to it. It will be the trip of a lifetime.”
Sandy, whose day job centres around agricultural finance, has developed a passion for riding motorbikes over the past 15 years.
Now he’s delighted to get the chance to combine his favourite hobby with charity work.
The father-of-four will travel to Africa with Enduro Africa, which organises a unique and challenging annual motorcycle adventure in aid of UNICEF, Sentebale – The Prince’s Fund for Lesotho, and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
During the trip, Sandy will spend 10 days travelling from Durban to Port Elizabeth by motorbike, which sounds like a simple task. But the catch is that around 99 per cent of the journey is off-road, over rocky terrain and forest areas.
The coast is also littered with dangerous cliffs and waterfalls, which tumble straight into the sea.
“I think the trip will be fantastic because it’s combining what I love to do with helping a charity at the same time, but I’m a wee bit apprehensive as some parts of the course sound a bit unsafe,” Sandy admitted.
“I hear that last year there were a number of casualties – about 13 people were hospitalised – so I’m a little anxious, but the course has since been changed so hopefully it will be a bit safer this time around.
“It all sounds a bit scary – I think we even cross a ski resort at one point – but to be honest, I’m more worried about forgetting my helmet or leaving something important behind. I’m sure that will change when I get there though.”
In order to take part in the Enduro Africa challenge, participants have to raise a minimum of £4995 in sponsorship. The cash is used by the organisation to support travel and accommodation costs for each participant, as well as the purchase of a new motorbike for each rider.
After the trip, each of the motorcycles and remaining sponsorship cash will be donated to Riders for Health – a registered charity which provides vital transport and motorcycle maintenance to health workers in rural communities throughout Africa.
Sandy explained, “Motorbikes are a means of getting health workers and supplies out to remote villages, and apparently you can buy 20 motorbikes for the cost of one Land Cruiser so it’s cost effective. In some areas, motorbikes are the only possible way to travel and they can get to places that a four-wheel drive can’t.”
Luckily, Sandy, vice chair of the Scottish Twin Shock Scramble Club, has raised most of the cash required for his trip, but he is hoping to raise as much cash as possible, so all donations will be made most welcome.
Anyone wishing to find out more about Sandy’s trip or sponsor him in his quest can do so by visiting www.scottishtwinshock.com/sandyspage
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