Wirral woman who "doesn't train" swaps saddle for sand dunes in Sahara trek for Stick 'n' Step

A Wirral woman who has already conquered Africa's highest peak for us is heading back to the continent, this time to take on one of the toughest environments on earth, and she's doing it without any training.

Kath Trigg, 37, one of the owners of Giant Cycles Liverpool, will take on the Sahara Desert Trek in November to raise money and awareness for Stick ‘n’ Step. Kath’s seven-year old niece, Ava, has cerebral palsy and attends conductive education sessions at our Wallasey centre.

Kath says,

My perspective has changed forever since Ava was born. Ava is a little warrior and she works so hard. She's the reason I'm doing this. I think we could all learn a thing or two by spending a day with Ava or the other children at Stick 'n' Step. They live their lives with such determination, and they inspire me every day.

The trek will see Kath walk 50km across the desert over four days later this month, crossing shifting sand dunes and rocky plains while carrying her own kit. Daytime temperatures can soar well above 30°C with little or no shade, while nights in the desert can plunge close to freezing. Trekkers sleep under canvas or the open sky, with no home comforts and only the water they are given to ration through each day. This challenge would test even the most prepared trekker, and Kath admits she isn't one of them, despite having stood on the summit of Kilimanjaro in her previous fundraiser for us.

She says,

Funnily enough, I don't train. All my friends laugh at me when I sign up for these things, because I just turn up and hope for the best. I'm quite strong-minded though, so even if it's awful, I'll force myself to carry on. Watching the sun rise over the Sahara will be a real pinch-me moment. I'm also looking forward to camping and being back to basics, without wifi! My goal is not to collapse. Joking aside, I just want to soak it all in, and even when it's hard, to put things into perspective and realise how lucky I am to be healthy and able to take on adventures like this.

Kath has been fundraising by baking cookies and selling them to riders from the Giant Liverpool cycling community on Saturdays. She jokes that this has been the hardest part of her training, as she is "not a natural-born baker". Thanks to the generosity of her customers and fellow cyclists, she has already smashed her original target of £2,500, raising more than £3,000 before she has even set foot in the desert. Kath is hoping to push her total even higher before she sets off.

People should donate to Stick 'n' Step because the world is a better place when people are selfless, thoughtful and care about other human beings, she said.

Donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/page/katherine-trigg-4?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL.