Riding a bike for 16 days over 10,000 kilometres of rugged terrain with only the camels for comfort is going to seem like a breeze for a Japan-based respectable banking analyst after his experience of recent months.
James Fiorillo, a senior analyst with ING Barings, is participating in this year's Arras-Dakar rally.
Leaving Arras, north of Paris, on December 28, Mr Fiorillo will ride his KMT sports motorcycle across Europe and Africa before completing the gruelling journey on January 13 in Dakar, Senegal.
Competitors in the annual car, bike and truck race have to deal with extremes of temperature, terrain, wildlife and threats from the locals.
Last year, extremists threatened to landmine the course.
However, for Mr Fiorillo - who is hoping to raise US$10,000 to build a schoolroom in the Guan Xi Village Primary School in Hunan County - it is all in a day's work.
