A Richmond beauty therapist is preparing to cycle across India for charity.
Sara Smith, who runs Beauty at Liberty, based in Liberty Health Club, aims to raise money for charity by taking part in the Women V Cancer cycle challenge.
Money from the challenge goes to three charities, Breast Cancer Care, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and Ovarian Cancer Action.
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Sara said: “At 28 I decided I wanted a challenge for my 30th year and having clients who had suffered with cancer, unfortunately some losing the battle, I thought this was the charity I wanted to support.
“I’ve signed up to the promise of raising £3,200 and cycling 247 miles across India in five days.”
Unfortunately two months after signing up to the event, Sara found out her dad, Ron, had terminal cancer himself.
She said: “I upped my fundraising not knowing how I’d cope with fundraising after losing dad and not knowing how long we had left with him.
“Dad had cancer in the kidneys, liver, lungs, lymph and tumours by his stomach. He died in June last year, less then six months after being diagnosed with cancer.
“A lot of family and friends got behind my fundraising and donated in memory of dad, which now makes my event even more personal to me.”
Sara added: “This is the biggest challenge of my life.
“I’ve only done a couple of one day sportives before supporting the same charity and cycling a max of 67 miles at one time.
“I am so very grateful for all the support, kindness and donations from my family, friends and clients though. None of this would have been possible without them.”
As well being sponsored for the trip and receiving donations, Sara is raising money by running raffles which has been well supported by local businesses and artists.
Her current raffle is for a Lucy Pittaway print called Strolling Home.
Tickets are £2 a strip. The raffle ends this Friday.
If anyone wants some raffle strips they can contact Sara from Beauty at Liberty on 07590950004 or contact her on her Facebook page here .
She already smashed the £3,200 target with the total approaching £6,000.
To donate call in to the salon at Liberty Health Club or click here.
