NEWS RELEASE - September 2006

Romsey GP to attempt the toughest footrace on Earth

Dr Peter Haig is a GP from North Baddesley Health Centre near Romsey and at 44 years old is about to embark on the most extraordinary personal journey. In just under 6 months he will be standing with 700 other competitors at the start line for the Marathon des Sables, known as the Sahara Marathon in the UK. Ahead of him will be a gruelling ordeal through the scorching heat and majesty of the Moroccan Sahara. He's just one of 150 hardy or foolish runners from the UK (depending on how you look at it) and the only one from the Romsey area. We think the only GP in the South. Here's his tale....

Over 6 stages we will run, walk or stagger over more than 250km of sand and rock. Water is replenished on a rationed basis every 10km, but everything else has to be carried- food, fuel, clothes and sleeping bag, as well as safety gear. Race temperatures average 40'C, and it can hit over 50'C in the dunes. This year 150 of the 700 athletes failed to finish, from heatstroke, dehydration, blisters, or just plain exhaustion. It is not surprising it is described as The toughest footrace on Earth.

So, why should a middle-aged GP from North Baddesley be even thinking about doing this? Are you mad? most of his friends have asked! There are two reasons for this mid-life crisis. Continues Peter `My first motivation is personal - to lose weight and get fitter. The second is to raise as much money as I can for the official race charity, Facing Africa.

18 months ago I was over 14 stones in weight. At 5'8 this made me technically obese (I like to think I have a heavy frame). I would have felt a 5 mile run was impossible, never mind a series of back-to-back marathons. I knew the time had come for a change. Supported by friends and colleagues, I had dabbled at getting fit over the previous 2 years. I had even done a few short-course triathlons, but was stung by a comment at the Windsor event that I qualified for the Shire Horse category, from one of the organisers. Not good for anyone's self-esteem!

I was then lucky enough to join a running club based in Romsey, a brand new group called the Halterworth Harriers. Having a group to run with proved invaluable. The friendly and supportive atmosphere in the club has been great, and it is much easier to run with company. I started to run regularly, and the weight began to come off. By early 2006 I was down to 12stone 5, the lightest I've been for 20years, and was regularly doing 10mile runs. I felt enormously better physically, and mentally. My resting pulse had fallen from 80 to 60, and my lung capacity had measurably increased. I still doubt whether lycra running gear suits me, but it is less hideous than it used to be!.

When a GP friend asked in July 2005 if he wanted a challenge, Peter knew the Sahara Marathon would focus his training efforts. It was really a case of get fit or fail...

Peter continues; `My second, less selfish reason for doing the Marathon is the reason for writing this article. As I mentioned before, I want to raise as much money as I can for the official race charity, Facing Africa. This charity is doing great work in sub-Saharan African to prevent and treat a hideous disease known as Noma. (As a GP with 20yrs experience, I hadn't heard of it either- it shows how little we know about diseases which have little impact on us directly). The technical name for Noma is Cancrum Oris, and it is a rotting, gangrenous infection of the jaws and face. It is found almost exclusively in Africa, and kills around 200,000 children each year. The survivors are left horribly disfigured, with gaping holes for mouths, and their quality of life can only be imagined. The tragedy is that Noma is preventable, with adequate nutrition. Facing Africa is striving to teach and provide a healthy diet pattern in the areas hardest hit, and the Sokoto Hospital in Nigeria has teams of unpaid volunteer surgeons performing reconstructive surgery to the luckiest ones.

Peter hopes that others, too, will agree this is a worthwhile cause and will be trying to raise as much sponsorship as possible over the remaining 6 months before the race. The great news is that Hillier Garden Centre (Botley Road, Romsey) has nominated Peter and the charity as their main fundraising project for the next 6 months. Says Peter of this welcome turn of events; I would like to thank all the local businesses who have contributed prizes for a draw, to be held this autumn. I'd like to specially thank Nigel Budgen and the wonderful folk at Hillier Garden Centre in Romsey who have offered to help with my fundraising efforts over the next six months.

For more information about the charity, visit www.facingafrica.org but be warned, some of the pictures are disturbing. Sponsor forms are available locally (including Hillier Garden Centre on Botley Road and North Baddesley Health Centre) and Peter hopes people will contribute generously if they can. Peter will be organising various fund-raisers, including a quiz-evening in North Baddesley in November. If local businesses would like to contribute prizes for a prize draw, please contact Peter at North Baddesley Health Centre on 023 80743401.

Peter Haig is a GP at North Baddesley Health Centre. He is married to Frances and has two young daughters, Rosy aged 10 and Sophie aged 8 both of whom attend Halterworth School. All three are supportive of Peter's challenge, but understandably nervous. Says Frances; I was worried that this impulsive decision would eat into family-time at weekends, but we are now helping by cycling with Pete when he runs. We have all benefited from the Halterworth Harriers' training sessions too. And the girls, I think it is quite dangerous because there might be dangerous animals like scorpions, and sand-storms to get lost in, and I think it is odd that Dad is doing it, because he doesn't look like a marathon-runner.

Sponsor Peter Haig

To sponsor Peter Haig for the MdS in aid of Facing Africa, use this secure online donation form.

Links

• www.facingafrica.org - Helping to cure and prevent NOMA (official charity of the MdS in 2003)
• www.saharamarathon.co.uk - More information about the MdS (you could run it too!)
• www.darbaroud.com - The organizers of the MdS
• www.bestofmorocco.co.uk - Tailor-made trips to Morocco (marathon not compulsory)