Not every tai-tai is prepared to go as far as Marie-Christine Louey will go for a good cause. Louey hosted a cocktail party at the Four Seasons hotel last week to celebrate the launch of her Sports for Hope Foundation with friends and donors. To raise funds for the charity she founded, which helps underprivileged children, Louey will set off on a 260 kilometre cycling adventure in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in September, starting in the border town of Simuhana and finishing in Kasghar. She will be joining the final stage of Italian chef Andrea Oschetti's solo 3,000 kilometre cycling expedition through Iran and China. She might be able to go the distance, but can Louey go without a shower for three consecutive days while she's on the road? It turns out she's been there, done that. Eight years ago, Louey spent seven days in the desert in Egypt. 'We lived like nomads. Everything was limited, but it was a fantastic experience,' she said. 'I'm looking forward to it even though this journey will be a great challenge, both physically and mentally.' Louey said she had not been very handy with bicycles before she began training. 'I really love the unexpected [on the road]. It adds to the excitement,' she said. And after she has swapped her cocktail dresses and stilettos for sunscreen and litres of water, the socialite is planning a big soiree or two to celebrate in October. 'I won't use any money from the foundation to arrange those balls,' she quipped.