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Ryan Maughan is planning to walk more than 60 miles across some of the most arid and inhospitable terrain on the planet next month.

The epic attempt is being undertaken between November 5-12 to raise funds for mental health charity Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind.

Ryan was inspired to take on his latest challenge by a chance encounter on the flight back from a previous fundraising adventure where he raised over £600 for a young people's counselling service.

Intrepid fundraiser Ryan Maughan will be trekking 100km across the Sahara Desert to raise money for a mental health charity this November.

He said: “Back in 2019 I climbed Mount Toubkal, which is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains in North Africa. On the plane back I met a couple of people who’d done the Sahara trek and I was like, ‘I wanna do that’.”

The Woodston resident Ryan told the Peterborough Telegraph how he has been preparing for his trek.

“I’ve been training for just over a year. My aim now is to try and hit ten miles every day to try and get my feet and my body used to the walking.”

Ryan explained why he chose CPSL Mind: “Two-and-a-half years ago I was going through a really bad stage with my mental health. I thought I had nobody and that’s when the support came in from Mind. Now I just want to say ‘thank you’ and give something back.”

Ryan, 30, has been training for his trek across the Sahara for over a year.

Ryan is no stranger to adventurous challenges. In 2018, he and some friends trekked the length of Hadrian's Wall in just over 57 hours, smashing the 72-hour target they’d set themselves. Sadly, Ryan – who was carrying a 26kg rucksack – ripped five layers of skin off his feet, landing himself in A&E.

The same year, Ryan and his companions rode 363 miles on exercise bikes to complete a virtual Peterborough to Paris bike ride.

These undertakings raised a combined total of £6,000 for Whizz-Kidz, a charity which provides equipment and support for young wheelchair users.

Hospital security officer Ryan has also raised funds to buy games consoles for the Amazon children’s ward at Peterborough Hospital, and helped provide clothes and provisions to the city’s homeless.

Hospital security officer Ryan helped raise funds to purchase games consoles for the Amazon children's ward at Peterborough Hospital.

‘Dehydration will be a big problem’

Though confident of his chances of success in the Sahara, Ryan identified some specific issues of concern.

“The heat - dehydration will be a big problem. And camping at night time will be ‘different’ as the temperature drops really cold at night.”

He also added: “I’ve heard about the scorpions - apparently they're the worst ones out there.”

in 2018, Ryan rode completed a virtual Peterborough to Paris bike ride to raise money for a charity which provides equipment and support for young wheelchair users.

Ryan will be joined by a dozen other fundraisers from across the UK on his arduous trek.

Gary Sutcliffe, fundraising manager for CPSL Mind was quick to praise Ryan’s efforts.

“We are truly grateful to Ryan, trekking across the Sahara sounds amazing and a huge challenge.

“But every step he takes, and every pound he can raise, helps us to help local people in their recovery from mental health challenges.

“We promote positive mental health across our diverse communities and being active is one of the five ways to wellbeing. And Ryan is certainly being active in this epic effort and we thank him and wish him the very best of luck.”

To contribute to Ryan’s fundraising visit his Just Giving page.

Peterborough man to trek 100km across Sahara in five days

‘Dehydration will be a big problem’