A GRANDMOTHER from Hopwood who completed a charity cycle ride in searing African heat sets her sights on another arduous journey.
Janet Adams is looking forward to getting back on her bike despite having braved temperatures of up to 39 degrees cycling over some of the most forbidding territory in Africa.
While most of us were still in bed, the intrepid cyclist was up at the crack of dawn, riding across the Masai Mara wildlife reserve in Kenya and on into Tanzania during a five-day journey.
On one day alone she clocked up 104 kilometres and was stretched to the limits of her endurance during the sponsored cycle challenge, but refused to give up.
In total, she raised £1,470 for the Acorns charity which provides specialised nursing care and support in the Midlands for babies and children with life limiting or life-threatening conditions.
Janet was heartened by the backing she received from the local community. She popped into the offices of Great Wyrley-based air conditioning and refrigeration specialists, 24-Seven Cooling Limited, to thank the directors for their £250 donation and show them pictures from her trip.
The company’s Ean Jones said: “What impressed us was that every penny of our sponsorship money goes directly to Acorns because Janet covered her own travelling expenses.”
Now she is planning a similar adventure to India to raise more money for a good cause.
Janet, a senior commercial account handler, said: “There were tears and traumas. At one stage I fell off my bike, and the heat was unbearable. Cycling across the Masai Mara also had its problems as there had been no rain.
“This had turned the dust tracks into sand, so it was like trying to cycle along the beach, but the fact I was raising money for Acorns kept me focused.”
