Adventurous fundraisers
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Kaikoura
British backpacker Mark Riley and his teddy are travelling the world to take on various adventures in an effort to raise funds for breast cancer research.
Mark's grandmother died in December 1999 of breast cancer which hit him and his family hard, particularly as it was just before Christmas and the new millennium.
Mark describes his grandmother as a woman with a genuine warm and kind heart and he was so moved by her death that the following year he decided to raise funds for cancer research by bravely waxing his very hairy legs.
He successfully raised 300 pounds and with December 2009 being the 10th anniversary of his grandmother's death he decided to attempt to raise 10 times that amount with his daredevil teddy on a round the world trip.
And so the adventure began.
Mark resigned from his role as a theatre lighting technician of three years to take on the year long trip with Daredevil Teddy.
So far he has accompanied Teddy to North America and experienced trapeze flying, trekked around South America where they participated on a gruelling three day trek in the Amazon Jungle (very humid if you're covered in fur), received a traditional Peruvian outfit, stayed in other teddies' homes in Peru, and two weeks ago he swam with dolphins at Dolphin Encounter here in Kaikoura (Teddy in his own custom made wetsuit!).
Teddy and Mark have six weeks to travel around New Zealand, then they're off to Australia, Asia and South Africa for a three week conservation project.
While in New Zealand he will be participating in other iconic activities including tramping and Zorbing and other daredevil activities that take Teddy's fancy.
If you would like to know more about the adventures of Mark and Teddy, they have their own Facebook page dedicated to the trip called Teddy Goes Daredevil. Alternatively you can visit the website www.justgiving.com/Daredevil-teddy
- © Fairfax NZ News
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