Duncan's profile

Born in 1976, the son of a naval hero and former Miss Salisbury, Duncan's early childhood was an idyllic flow of pass the parcel and tea with the vicar. He did not taste the harsh side of life until 1986 when he was dropped from ``The C Team'', a prep school Chippendale tribute act, after experimenting with EPO. This early set-back fired him into the world of competitive sports with a vengeance; the only criteria to his choice of sports were that they must be exclusively male and must involve very small shorts.

The first to meet the criteria was rugby, for which he starred at school, and even represented England at Under-19 level. However at university, despite a variety of club offers, he displayed the first blossoms of a social conscience and took up football. But as the fashion for larger shorts developed, Duncan had to look elsewhere for his shot of competitive bliss.

Long-distance running provided his first introduction to Lycra - small and tight - and his first marathon (3hrs 20mins) cemented this love. Briefly tempted by the opportunity to cultivate facial hair, Duncan flirted with trekking on the Annapurna trail. However, the call of Spandex was strong and it was not long before he found himself entered in 2006 Tough Guy. The lure of an event based on US Navy SEAL training, as well as Lycras introduction of a sleeveless vest, proved too intoxicating for our Van Damme-loving hero to ignore. His top 10 per cent finish even gave him something to hold up in the shower with pride.

On discovery of the Lycra ``all in one'' short shirt combo bicycling became an inevitability, and the pan-American road trip was merely a matter of time. The destination was never in doubt: San Francisco, home of the `free'. So great was his desire to get there, he completed the three-week trip in just a week and a half.

Once home, fully satisfied, he looked back on his 20 years of conquests and decided it was time that he took a different root. His social conscience sang and this time he listened: He must use the skills he had lovingly built up for the greater good; he must go on a crusade across the Sahara to save African children from the horrific blight of NOMA. The challenge has now been set: £20,000 and 151 miles of desert. But the real question is, this time, is he going to be the man?

Written by Blake.