I am a 23 year-old Cardiff resident with a passion for adventure, excitement and good causes. I am deeply involved with a number of community projects working with disadvantaged youth, young people with disabilities, and sport as a tool for empowerment.

On 8th April, I am due to compete in the Marathon des Sables, a 156-mile ultra-marathon across the Southern Moroccan Sahara, commonly recognised as “the toughest footrace on Earth”. While this would normally prove a remarkable feat in itself, I was involved in a horrific cycling accident last February, resulting in a double-broken back, and broken jaw which required still-ongoing facial surgery.

My recovery has been a long and winding road, but I am finally starting to feel fit again and most recently tested myself in November’s Cyprus Aphrodite Half Marathon where I finished third in my age category. I have a reasonable background in cycle racing but I take great pride in my resilience and mental toughness, and am encouraged by this opportunity to promote causes close to my heart, as well as completing a personal ambition which has been two years in the making. I have chosen to run for AllMyStrength, an art-based mental health awareness project and blog based in Cardiff and Bristol, which has successfully engaged people I am close to.

This event personally means a huge amount to me, having been born in neighbouring Algeria during a particularly unstable time and so I regard this as a semi-spiritual journey.

As you can imagine, the logistics and scale of this event means it has high costs attached, and I am looking for financial and/or kit assistance from different organisations. I would be very grateful for any support to help me accomplish this event and will happily make myself available for any marketing or publicity engagements where I can speak or write about how you helped me reach the finish line of this incredibly journey.