A FORMER Oxford youth worker is set to tackle the world-famous Dakar Rally.

Tamsin Jones will be the youngest British woman in the notoriously tough 14-day event.

The rally, which is now held in South America after it became too dangerous to ride the original route from Paris to the Senegalese capital, will see her cover 9,000km on a Yamaha 450 WR.

Not content with the prospect of overcoming the desert sand dunes when the event begins on New Year’s Day, the 37-year-old will take on a charity cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End this week as part of her training regime.

Raised in Wheatley, Miss Jones worked as a youth worker at Trax – the Oxford-based charity offering courses in mechanics and other life skills to young people – between 2000 and 2004.

Six months ago she became a fundraiser for the charity, a role she now performs two days a week to fit around her training.

The former Wheatley Park School pupil said: “I’ve raced motorbikes for about 10 years and it has always been a dream to do this.

“I had a little opportunity earlier this year and I thought ‘I’ve got to do it’.

“I’ve just been in Morocco and the Pyrenees, riding in the Sahara Desert and in the mountains, and I’m doing lots of fitness training.

“Me and my friend Kate Burcham are cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End and we’ve been doing five-hour rides at the weekend and training during the week.”

Miss Jones, who will be one of six riders in the Desert Rose team, added: “You’re on your own all day, riding for at least 10 hours a day.

“I’ve done quite a lot of endurance events before but this bike’s going to be a lot heavier because you have to carry 30 litres of fuel.

“I’ll also have a survival kit and tools to try and fix the bike if anything goes wrong.

“If not, you have to wait for the sweeper truck to come and find you, and that has been known to take a couple of days.

“I’m not really worried about getting stuck in the desert, I’m more worried about the fast cars and trucks that come behind you.

“If you’re over the crest of a dune they won’t be able to see you.”

For more information and to sponsor Miss Jones’s ride in the rally in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society, see her website.

To sponsor Miss Jones and Miss Burcham’s John O’Groats to Land’s End cycle ride, see their justgiving page