Whether it's running up IFC's stairs or a marathon across the Antarctic, there is no shortage of extreme athletes in Hong Kong. The latest local wild man to risk his life and sanity is Valley rugby player Bryan O'Hara, who will be participating in the Marathon Des Sables, an annual 243km endurance race through the Sahara Desert in Morocco where temperatures often soar up to 50 degrees Celsius.
'This is pretty much as extreme as it gets,' says O'Hara, a market trader by day. 'I've competed in a 100km race in Papua New Guinea, the New York Marathon in November, the Hong Kong Action Asia in December, ran in two King of the Hills races and just recently finished 12th in the 50km Greenpower Trail Race. It's all about the challenge. A lot of people say we're crazy but I say I can't wait to get out there.'
For extra motivation, O'Hara is committed to raising US$10,000 for the Child Welfare Scheme, a charity that helps disadvantaged children in Nepal. However, it won't be all work and no play for the rugby enthusiast.
'The race starts on the 9th, so I'm not leaving until after the Sevens.'
