The boss of LJ Fairburn’s is raising money for charity by running two marathons in two days across the scorching Saharan desert as a participant in the Saharan Challenge 2018 to raise money for charity.
Daniel Fairburn of Alford-based LJ Fairburn that supplies over 17m eggs a week across the UK, will be undertaking this tough adventure of a lifetime that will take him over 84km of sun-baked sand dunes and rugged mountain ranges, sleeping under the stars along the way, and all for a cause close to his heart: helping fellow farmers and their families.
In keeping with the scale of the challenge, Daniel has set himself an ambitious fundraising target, aiming to raise at least £45,000 in sponsorship from the run for Farm Africa, the charity that works to combat poverty in east Africa by working with smallholder famers to grow and sell more food. He hopes to beat the £35,000 he raised for the charity in 2014 when he cracked Kilimanjaro and reached the summit in six days.
As the Managing Director of one of the UK’s largest independent egg producers, Daniel is no stranger to hard work, but this challenge will be getting him a littler hotter under the collar as he competes in gruelling dry heat averaging 25 degrees. With a start line in the shadows of Mount Kissane in Morocco, runners will follow the Draa Valley south. About 52 miles later with plenty of ups and downs along the way, they’ll cross the finish line at stunning Nakhla Dunes near Zagora on the edge of the imposing Sahara Desert.
Daniel has always taken fitness very seriously, running practically every day and with a job that keeps him busy on his feet all day long. Now training furiously for his tough fundraising assignment, he’s also making use of fitness equipment installed on the family farm in Alford to aid his regime!
Daniel said: “Thanks to everyone’s extreme generosity, I was able to raise a huge sum from the Kilimanjaro climb, smashing our original target of £35,000. This autumn, when I tackle the Sahara, I’d love to raise even more. Farm Africa is a fantastic cause, helping people in need in a really positive way. As a father of four, I know that providing for your family and putting good food on the table is paramount and shouldn’t be a luxury.”
You can spur on Daniel by making a donation via his fundraising page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/saharanchallenge. Every penny he receives will go directly to Farm Africa. Daniel’s training and preparation for this year’s challenge, plus news and pictures from his Saharan adventure will be posted on the company’s website and social media.
