Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. Sally and Mike Gowers must surely epitomise this statement, for tourists they are not. As they set off at the start of their 10 month expedition, a love of adventure and the great outdoors provided Sally & Mike the inspiration to celebrate the successful completion of Sally’s breast cancer treatment.
After completing radiotherapy in February this year, Sally’s focus was firmly fixed on new experiences, so together with husband Mike, they planned the trip of a lifetime. A Science Teacher and IT worker, they have each taken a 12-month sabbatical during which time they plan to drive their 16 year old Land Rover Defender ‘Kobar’ from South Wales to South Africa.
Kobar, fully laden
The trip, which has only taken 5 months to plan, sounds like something from an episode of Top Gear, will see them drive across Europe to Greece before taking a ferry to Alexandria from where they’ll head towards the coast of East Africa and all points south.
En route they plan to immerse themselves in local cultures by participating in projects with The Muskoka Foundation, an organisation that encourages responsible independent travel by creating volunteering opportunities for travellers wishing to share their skills with others, something Mike and Sally are both passionate about.
It was a pleasure to meet people with such a positive outlook and to learn of the obstacles that together they have overcome. They understand the need for wider research into secondary breast cancer and plan to support Against Breast Cancer through their JustGiving page. We wish them a bon voyage and will look out for updates of their adventure which we will post on our Facebook page in the coming months.