Shark crusader Lee hoping Chile recovers in time for his next big adventure in Atacama

Peter Lee's hopes of competing in this weekend's 250km Racing the Planet Atacama Crossing desert race in Chile have been thrown into disarray after the devastating earthquake in the country.

Lee hoped to compete in the seven-day race to raise money for Help for Heroes, a fund aimed at helping injured soldiers make a smooth transition into civilian life. But the event could be cancelled after the earthquake left much of the capital, Santiago, paralysed.

'We're not sure what is going to happen,' said Lee, 41, who competed in yesterday's marathon dressed as a shark. 'I just hope everybody in Chile is fine. We're supposed to be competing further up north in the desert. I don't know whether the airport and the surroundings will be opened.

'At the moment, it's still on. I'm ready to go. Everybody was excited because it's a great big adventure. Hopefully, things will work out for the Chilean people.'

Lee raced the entire marathon in a shark suit to raise awareness about the plight of sharks and shark finning. Although it was a 'pretty uncomfortable' experience, he said his fellow runners made life easier for him.

'The runners were fantastic and helped me all the way. They were cheering and saying 'go shark',' he said.