The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Rachel is rallying to the aid of good causes
People
Anorth-east theatre nurse who overcame a cancer scare is following her dream of becoming a rally driver and raising money for medical charities.
Blackburn mum Rachel Medich is hoping to generate £10,000 on the Scottish circuit this season.
Her Rally2raise campaign will raise money for Cancer Research UK, the Nystagmus Network, which provides support and promotes research into the eye condition, the Joanne Bingley Memorial Foundation for post-natal depression, and the MS Society.
Ms Medich, 32, has been keen on rally driving since she was a teenager and took it up while training at the University of Central Lancashire, acting as a navigator and co-driver with another woman enthusiast.
The pair raised £3,000 for cancer research in 2008, after battling through heavy sleet and snow showers in a Christmas rally.
Both had cancer scares the year before and, after being given the all-clear, they decided to help find a cure for the disease.
This month, Ms Medich will again be at the wheel of her 1.3-litre Nissan Micra in the Granite City Rally.
The event, on April 14, will take entrants on a spectacular course around the area, featuring twisting and testing sections through scenic Forestry Commission Scotland woodlands.
Her vehicle is supported by Kintore-based Clark Motorsport, which is run by her partner, Barry Clark, from Ellon.
The couple, who met through the rally scene, have an 11-month-old son, Archie, who is a real “rally baby”, according to his mum.
Ms Medich, a specialist theatre nurse at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, said: “Archie comes with us to events, and loves the cars.”
It was Archie’s diagnosis with Nystagmus – a condition causing involuntary eye movement that can result in reduced or limited vision – which motivated the motoring mum to include the cause in her charity drive.
She raised £60 at the Mull Rally last October with a cake and cookie sale.
Her first driver’s seat outing was in February’s Arnold Clark/thistle Hotel Snowman Rally at Inverness, with Marieanne Gray, of Fraserburgh, taking over the navigation duties.
The two women relished the tricky forest track conditions in the event, organised by the Highland Car Club, and raised a further £190 for her pet charities.
“I loved every second and the driving practice I got was great,” she said.
“We had one moment where we nearly left the road as it was very slippery, but fortunately we did not crash.”
Her most recent outing was last month when she took part in the Edradour Saltire Classic Rally among a field of classic cars which tackled a 95-mile scenic route around Pitlochry.
Ms Medich is trained in specialist techniques, including accident and emergency treatment and critical care, and has provided medical backup at rallies across Ireland and as far afield as Golspie and the Isle of Man.
More details of her fundraising goals are available online at the Rally2raise website.