So in December I decided to pick up a part time job as a Deliveroo rider. I’m a full time mechanical engineer, working 40 hours per week. I’m on a decent salary, have few outgoings and don’t need the extra money. So you may ask why I dedicate 12 hours a week on top of a full time job for money I don’t need?

Well, I’m not in it for the money. In fact, I gain exactly £0.00 from every hour I work because I’m donating it all to charity. You could say I’m crazy, but this isn’t even nearly the craziest thing I’m doing this year.

No, in April I’m running the Marathon des Sables.

If you don’t know what that is, it’s said that the Marathon de Sables (MdS) is the toughest footrace on Earth. It’s a six day event covering over 156 miles through the Moroccan Sahara. That means running over endless dunes, over rocky jebels and across white-hot salt plains in temperatures regularly reaching 50 centigrade.

On top of that, entrants have to be entirely self-sufficient, carrying everything from food to equipment that may be needed for the whole week - on your back. Water is rationed and if you exceed the ration, you get a time penalty. Pretty gruelling!

So what does this have to do with delivering takeaway three nights a week?

Well, to run the MdS successfully, it requires 100 on course volunteers, 400 support staff, 2 helicopters, 23 buses, 4 camels and much more. All that comes at a cost! As a result, I’ve set myself the target to raise £8,000 for charity!

To date, I’ve raised £1,330 for Hope for Children. It’s a great start, but it’s still a long way from my £8k target. I’ve also been training steadily over the past six months, but it’s time to ramp it up.

Step in Deliveroo - the perfect opportunity to train - riding up to 20 miles on shift whilst practicing carrying food on my back. On top of that, I earn a wage, all of which I’m donating straight to Hope for Children.

It hasn’t all been fun and games

To date you could say things haven’t gone so smoothly. On my fifth shift, I came off my bike. I recovered, but the bike was written off so I missed the next couple of shifts while I sourced a replacement. I was lucky enough to be lent a brilliant replacement from work buddy. The next time out on my bike I had an egg thrown at me. These little blips, although small in comparison to the MdS challenge, won’t stop me.. I’m going to have to be mentally a lot stronger than a raw egg to conquer the Moroccan Desert!

What am I aiming to achieve?

I’m aiming to raise £1,000 by riding with Deliveroo. At £6 an hour plus £1 per delivery, I reckon that’s 25 shifts ahead of April.

I’ve organised a variety of charity events, from football tournaments, to raffle prize draws to a horse racing night. On top of that I’ll be running some half marathons dressed as a Minion and reaching out for donations. And when I say as a Minion I mean no expense spared, I have bought the proper thing, not a knock off Minion onesie!

Now for why I’m writing this article...

I am also looking for companies to sponsor me and in return I will plaster my desert kit with their logo. You’d be amazed how much broadcasting there is in such a hostile environment as the Sahara.

However, that still won’t be enough. I still need help in extra donations if I’m to reach my target.

I would be very grateful if you could help me reach my target by donating anything you can to the cause at the following link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Adam-Ball4 or sharing this post to help spread the message.

Thank for taking the time to read this.

Wish me luck,

Adam



