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Moray woman faces challenge

Dianne McLeish
Dianne McLeish

A former RAF medic from Moray is preparing to venture into the wilds of South Africa to raise funds for veterans.

Dianne McLeish, who is the county co-ordinator for the area’s branch of Help for Heroes, is hoping to raise £6,000 for the charity by taking part in an exhausting trek later this year.

Miss McLeish, 59, will embark on a 50-mile South African Wilderness Challenge over nine days in November, crossing barren desert and tropical growths during the mission.

Though the fundraiser is no stranger to adventure, having served for more than 33 years as a medic with the RAF, she describes the challenge as the biggest of her life.

She said: “Part of the idea behind this was that I wanted to give myself the toughest test I could before I turn 60, which will happen next February.

“I looked through all the available options and chose the South African Wilderness Challenge as it was the most taxing I could find.

“I have a real desire to test myself, and I really want to do something like this before I turn 60.”

The RAF veteran added: “I did begin to wonder what I had taken on a bit later, but I’ve been training hard for it and I think by November I should be able to complete the trek.”

Miss McLeish has been volunteer co-ordinator for the local Help for Heroes outfit since 2009, promoting the cause and staging fundraisers across Moray.

To help raise vital cash for wounded servicemen, she climbed Ben Nevis in June and the following month took part in a fundraising relay race.

Miss McLeish is now preparing herself for the South African experience by undertaking gruelling walks through the Cairngorms and, on occasion, sleeping under canvas by night.

During decades with the air force, Miss McLeish endured tours during conflictis in the Gulf and Bosnia, assisting with medical evacuations.

She also completed missions in Afghanistan as recently as 2009, before finishing her career at RAF Lossiemouth later that year.

It was Miss McLeish’s time in the RAF that encouraged her to support Help for Heroes.

She explained: “I saw in action what volunteers from the charity did, and how they helped people.

“It made me a believer in what they do.”

The South African Wilderness Challenge takes place in the Cederberg region of South Africa from Friday, November 6, to Sunday, November 15.

The trek will conclude at the summit of Table Mountain, a flat-topped mound overlooking Cape Town.

Anyone who wishes to donate money towards Ms McLeish’s collection can visit www.bmycharity.com/DianneAfricanWilderness.