Starting on the 4th January, 2008 the 'Up N'Atoms' team completed the Banjul Challenge 18 days later passing the disgruntled challengers from the cancelled Dakar rally in the opposite direction. Although the Challenge is not officially a race, 'Justy' the smallest car (1.2L engine, wheelbase and capacity) came group first in the Rally overcoming the test of the Sahara, country borders, 3 crashes, 2 punctures a police chase and many near misses. Thank you to all that supported us, the donations to Cancer Research and remembering Nigel. Read on for the Challenge details and do please sponsor us for our efforts.

The Team: Mark Dunstan, David McFarlane and Andy Alger

In the memory of a friend I will be participating in a car challenge in January 2008, which involves driving from Geneva, Switzerland to Banjul, The Gambia (via France, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania and Senegal) in a car worth £100. To this end, the team has acquired a dated Subaru Justy which, with much praying will hopefully reach its intended destination where it will be auctioned by a charity for local beneficiaries.
The challenge has no support infrastructure and the car preparation costs are limited to just £15.  The route takes us from snow to desert, over minefields and through bandit country (and that’s just France!) But the greatest challenge is the team not strangling one-another before we get there.
All donations go direct to ‘Cancer Research’ - all research projects are international so the results help the fight against cancer wherever you may live.  We have funded all of our own expenses; therefore every penny or cent you donate will go straight to the charity. Donating below is simple, fast, secure and will give you a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
Thank you for visiting our fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor us generously today because I won’t be doing anything like this ever, ever again.

Finally, in Nigel’s words, “thanks for all the fish!”
Mark (Dunny) and the ‘Up N’Atoms Team'

Want to read our progress (or lack of)? Our text field reports are found at: http://www.pdcinfo.info/fieldreports/8827fr.htm

"One in three people will get some form of cancer and one in four will die from it. Through the work of scientists, doctors and nurses, over the past 10 years alone, thousands of lives have been saved through earlier detection and improved treatments. But, much work remains to be done if we are to achieve our aim of beating cancer. Please help us by supporting Mark, David and Andy."
Dr. Dominic James, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester, UK (www.paterson.man.ac.uk)