Gordon is all set to climb for Doddie
Businessman Gordon Wilson will be scaling the heights to support rugby legend Doddie Weir.
The Carbon Financial managing director has signed-up for the ‘March for Doddie’, which will see a group of bighearted fundraisers trekking in Morocco’s spectacular High Atlas Mountains at the end of the month.
The 26-strong team, which includes Scotland national rugby coach Gregor Townsend, former internationalists Kenny Logan and Paul Burnell, and exEngland star Phil Vickery, is determined to generate support for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which is providing much-needed support to victims of motor neurone disease and backing research aimed at finding a cure.
The tough 50km challenge, from
March 27-30, winds through spectacular mountain scenery and Berber villages, with local guides and a UK Tribal Tracks leader keeping them on track from campsite to wild campsite.
“I have always been a big rugby fan and Doddie is a Scotland legend,” said Scone family man Gordon (51), who has already raised more than £5500 in sponsorship.
“As a business, Carbon has been supporting some of his fundraising events and I wanted to do something on a personal level.
“Doddie has been truly inspirational and it is great to see the foundation enjoying support from across Scotland and beyond.
“And it’s not just the rugby family rallying to the cause, as was shown by the fantastic response to the silent auction held by the PA and the Rotary Club of Perth.
“The foundation has already helped more than 1000 people affected by MND.”
Gordon, who is more at home on the fairways at Blairgowrie Golf Club, admits he will be venturing out of his comfort zone in Morocco.
“I have been doing a lot of cycling indoors over the winter, and recently tackled Schiehallion in rather testing conditions.
“If the weather gets better, I’m planning a weekend of Munro-bagging to round off my preparations.
“The advice has been ‘train hard, trek easy.’ Hopefully that will stand me in good stead.
“But this is definitely uncharted territory for me.
“That is also part of the attraction, I suppose. It has been keeping me fit over the winter.
“It is very much into the unknown and we have been warned there’s a lot of ascending and descending along the way.
“If you didn’t train for it, I suspect you’d find yourself in bother and that might still be the case.”
The Doddie team flies into Marrakech and immediately makes for the village of Imlil, at 1740 metres, en route to the Tizi
Tamatert pass at 2279m.
Day two from Foussarou to Tizi Oussem will clock-up 20km, passing through a series of mountain villages and walnut and juniper groves, soaking-up stunning views along the way.
And the final day is a 15km trek over Tizi Mzzik at 2500m and back to Imlil.
“It promises to be quite hectic and we have been warned we’ll hit the ground running,” said Gordon.
“We have to wear our trekking gear and boots on the flight out from London.”
The ‘March for Doddie’ can be supported at www.justgiving.com/ campaign/marchfordoddie