It's less than three months to go until a group of 34 intrepid trekkers head off to the Great Wall of China in aid of St Catherine's Hospice. As part of their training and to celebrate Chinese New Year, the group tackled a two day training walk over the South Downs last weekend.

Dave Owen from Horsham is just one of the trekkers. He said: "It was a challenging but enjoyable training walk, with the group walking 24 miles in two days. It showed us how important it is to get the miles in our walking boots before we head off in May, and helped remind us that the official countdown really has begun! I'm looking forward to more training walks over the next few weeks, and I can't wait to set off with my fellow China Challengers in ten weeks time, for what I know will be an adventure of a lifetime."

The bespoke trek is the second overseas adventure that St Catherine's has hosted. The local hospice is hoping to raise more than £100,000 in the incredible challenge at one of the seven wonders of the world.

Each trekker needs to raise at least £3,300 sponsorship but as they start the trip's final countdown many of them have already smashed their target.

The Great Wall of China Trek will take St Catherine's challengers to a remote section of the Great Wall. They will trek from Gubeikou to Simatai, on the wall itself, before venturing through wild and remote landscapes in aid of the hospice.

Michaela Clements, Event Fundraiser at St Catherine's will be with the trekkers every step of the way. She said: "We're so grateful to our 34 fantastic China Trekkers. They're pushing themselves to their limits in this incredible challenge. Their efforts will make a big difference to local terminally ill people when it's needed most and the money they raise will help us be there to offer expert care in future. At the moment, we can only care for one in three local people who need us. It's vital we keep raising money so we can be there to care for everyone. I can't wait to touch down in China and cheer on the trekkers during the challenge's harder moments. Remembering exactly why we're doing it will keep us all going!"

If you would like to support St Catherine's China Trekkers, you can donate on their Just Giving page at: www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/stcatherines/chinatrek2018

Feeling inspired? To find out how you can take on a challenge of your own for St Catherine's visit: www.stch.org.uk or call Hannah Cooke in the Events Team on 01293 447355.