Race pair sold jewellery to get to Dakar Rally

A pair of friends are due to take part in the Dakar Rally after selling a car and their own jewellery to take part.

Marcella Kirk, from West Handley in North East Derbyshire, is joining her friend Helen Tait-Wright for the 8,000km (4,970-mile) race in Saudi Arabia, which starts on Saturday.

Ms Tait-Wright said they had received sponsorship but had also sold lots of their own possessions to raise £114,000 (€130,000) to build a specially adapted Land Rover and for their expenses during the race.

"We are the first all-female British team to do the Dakar Classic, so we are really proud to be carrying the flag for that," Ms Kirk added.

The pair are competing in the Dakar Classic section of the rally, which runs until 17 January in a specially modified 1988 Land Rover Defender 110 built by Ms Tait-Wright's husband Chris.

It will be driven by Ms Tait-Wright, and Ms Kirk will be her navigator but as sat-navs are banned, she will have to rely on her map reading.

Ms Tait-Wright, 56, who lives in France, said she had sold off her MX5 car to help fund the race.

"We have gone through our stock of Land Rover parts and sold what we don't need," she said.

"I've sold my jewellery, lots of things really - anything that moved but not my husband."

The duo have competed together in two other endurance races in Morocco, across the Sahara Desert and Atlas Mountains, after Ms Tait-Wright persuaded her friend to take part when they lived next door to each other in France.

Their latest challenge will involve driving over a range of terrains from sand dunes, mud, rocks and dry river beds.

Ms Kirk, 55, who runs the Deja Vu bar in Chesterfield, said: "If you want to be the best at anything, you have to make sacrifices and Dakar is the most famous off-road rally in the world.

"It is still sinking in a little bit - we are on this massive site of professional drivers and the most amazing vehicles."

She said their friendship would be key to success in the race.

"Being friends is massively important because you are in the car a lot and making a lot of decisions.

"You can't get angry with each other if you miss something," she added.

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