Bedale dentist to ride 4,000 miles for Yorkshire air ambulance

A Bedale dentist is preparing to ride more than 4,000 miles from the Yorkshire Dales to West Africa in memory of her late mother — and to raise funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Teresa Robinson, 55, will set off on Friday, March 14 on an ambitious motorcycling journey to Dakar, Senegal, as part of a group of ten riders.

The three-and-a-half-week challenge will take her from the Yorkshire Dales through France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania before reaching Senegal.

Inspired by the original Paris–Dakar Rally route, the once-in-a-lifetime adventure has long been on Teresa’s bucket list.

She will be the only woman in the group and hopes to raise as much as possible for the air ambulance charity, which relies entirely on public donations to keep its helicopters flying.

Teresa, who has been riding motorbikes since she was 21, will complete the challenge on her Honda CRF 300 Rally dual sport bike. She says mastering riding in sand will be one of the toughest parts of the journey as she prepares to cross the Sahara Desert.

The fundraiser is particularly close to her heart. Teresa’s mother, Catherine Robinson, was airlifted to hospital by Yorkshire Air Ambulance following a serious road traffic collision. Her story was later featured on the BBC series Helicopter Heroes.

Teresa said: “Yorkshire Air Ambulance holds a very special place in my family’s heart. They were there for my mum after a serious car accident, and we will always be grateful for the lifesaving care they provided.

“This challenge is my way of giving something back. While it will be tough at times, I’m expecting plenty of excitement along the way. Knowing I’m supporting such an incredible charity — and thinking of the many bikers and families they’ve helped — will keep me going every mile.”

So far, Teresa has raised more than £1,000 through her JustGiving page and hopes to boost the total before she sets off next month.

Tessa Klemz, regional fundraising manager for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said the charity was “incredibly grateful” for Teresa’s support and wished her every success on the journey.