Women pick up the gauntlet

The all female team members who will take on the challenge are aged between 19 and 68 years. The team members hail from four continents and nine countries including India, Morocco, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Norway.

The 3B Jordan Challenge is being fully supported by Al Marai Company Limited, the key sponsor of the activity. As the region's largest dairy producer, Al Marai has a close affinity with the prevention of Osteoporosis and believes in raising awareness of the disease through exciting projects.

In aid of the recently launched 3B (Better Bone Belt) campaign in the UAE, the trip was planned and developed by challenge directors Julie Amer and Jannike Moe Rickett, who were also founders and directors of last year's successful Everest Women's Challenge.

Training for the Challenge has already begun with activities such as regular outdoor circuit training sessions at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, four-wheel-drive training, team building activities and bike maintenance workshops.

"Jannike and myself are delighted to have had the opportunity to work together again on this project. Over the last four months we have met some wonderful people who share our passion, values and enthusiasm for this positive community health campaign and have given us tremendous support enabling us to bring our challenge dreams to reality," Amer said.

Land Rover is supporting the Challenge by providing a total of six Freelanders for the trip, along with a mobile vehicle support unit. Marcelle Safar, Marketing Assistant, Land Rover Middle East & Africa, said: " We are very proud to be part of this exciting and challenging event that will help create awareness about osteoporosis in the Gulf. This initiative further reiterates Land Rover's ongoing commitment to the community and we are very pleased to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause and hope it will be a very rewarding and memorable adventure for the 3B Challenge team."

The Challenge team will also be attending weekend camp-outs, treks, rock climbing, kayaking, snorkeling and horseback riding sessions, to prepare them and build up their fitness levels for the activities that lie ahead on the ten-day challenge in Jordan.

Amer concluded: "The real adrenaline high and test of courage will be the tandem sky dive planned for April 9 over Wadi Rum (in Jordan), training for which will be done on the actual day with our instructors. There will be a few surprises over the 10 days and 9 nights, the team can look forward to the thrill of expecting the unexpected."