To prepare for this epic run Ricky is putting himself through a gruelling 6-month training regime. He'll run the equivalent of 5 and-a-half marathons over 6 days but it's all for a very good cause. Ricky will travel to Morocco to take part in this unique event to raise money for a charity called Facing Africa.
The Facing Africa charity was set up to combat the effects of a condition called Noma, the victims of which are mainly young children caught in a vicious circle of extreme poverty and chronic malnutrition. Noma is an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection affecting the face.
Mortality rates are as high as 90% of an annual incidence of 500,000 cases. The majority of these 450,000 fatalities occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The survivors are left to deal with facial disfigurement, functional impairment and social isolation. Ricky aims to raise as much money as possible in order that the survivors of this condition can undergo reconstructive surgery in order to improve their quality of life.
You can find out more about Noma, the Sahara Marathon and how you can help, by clicking on the links below.