Believe it or not, Sandy’s story begins in the womb. Her pregnant mother was taking Thalidomide to combat morning sickness. The drug was pulled from the market when it was found to cause birth defects. When Sandy was born, the relatives were all called and told the baby was healthy, with 10 fingers and 10 toes.

Sandy spent her formative years in Europe. Her father was a fighter pilot and so the family lived a nomadic lifestyle, moving all over the world. The lifestyle has stayed with her to this day. She believes her fathers love of adventure, and desire to live life on the edge has been passed on to her.

Life has not been easy for Sandy. She ran away from home in high school. She tried to put herself through University, but ended up dropping out after a couple of years. Sandy almost ended up on the streets, because she had nowhere to go, and no money. She also experienced problems with alcohol, and smoked like a chimney.

Fortunately, she was able to pull her life together, and put herself through college. Sandy graduated with a diploma in Radio and Television Arts. She spent the following 13 years in the television industry, working as a news anchor and reporter.

Finding herself in a rut, she quit her job, and hoped she would find her true calling. Running has always been one of Sandy’s passions, and she decided to combine this with her love of travel. She has been to Africa four times now to race in the famous Marathon des Sables, the world’s toughest extreme stage race. This paved the way for her current adventure, a camel trek across the Sahara Desert and back. It will be the first time in history that a western person will circle the entire desert in one trip.