Sports

Princes Will and Harry in Motorcycle Rally through South Africa

by Jordan Yerman | October 18, 2008 at 12:26 pm

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Princes William and Harry are getting their hands (and feet and faces) dirty in an eight-day, 1000-mile motorcycle rally through some rather rough terrain in South Africa, raising over $600,000 for charity... an endurance test indeed.

(I saw this on BBC World this morning, and, driven by equal parts curiosity and envy had to track down the rest of the story)

It is also the first time William, 26, and Harry, 24, have joined forces to personally raise funds for charity since they staged the successful Concert for Diana last year in memory of their mother. The pair have donated a minimum of £1,500 to take part in the Enduro Africa 08 event that has raised more than £300,000 for three organisations working in southern Africa.

Harry's charity Sentebale, established to help disadvantaged children in Lesotho, especially Aids orphans, will benefit along with Unicef and the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund - both working in South Africa to either help communities blighted by Aids or improve the prospects of youngsters.

Harper Brown, Sentebale's country director, said Harry became involved in the motorbike adventure after Enduro Africa approached his organisation and offered to raise funds for it for three years until 2010.

BMW had its chance with Ewan and Charley, so now it's the J-Bikes' turn... The CRF230F is sort of like Kawasaki's ass-kicking Super Sherpa: lower displacement but suprisingly zippy.

Riding Honda CRF 230cc motocross bikes and travelling in 10 strong groups, the princes will follow goat tracks across punishing terrain in the Enduro Africa 08 event raising more than £300,000 for Nelson Mandela’s children’s fund, UNICEF and Sentebale, Prince Harry’s chosen charity which helps aids orphans in Lesotho.

(Pronounced /Luh-SOO-too, it's the tiny country surrounded entirely by South Africa, situated in the Drakensberg)