A MOUNT NOD woman has completed a punishing triathlon deep in the heart of the Borneo jungle to raise £650 for Grapevine. 

Natalie Dodd, 30, was whisked by helicopter to the jungle-covered foothills of Mount Kinabalu, where she combined the gruelling disciplines of a triathlon - biking, running and racing – with the challenge of surviving in the jungle overnight by building her own shelter.  

Mount Kinabalu in northern Borneo is South East Asia’s highest peak and as part of Natalie’s five-day endurance test she trekked through ancient rainforests and navigated tropical rivers and rapids. 

The triathlon took place in November in the middle of Borneo’s monsoon season and Natalie said it was like nothing she had witnessed before.  She said: “It was a great physical challenge running in the heat of 32 degrees as I thought I was going to explode. But doing this challenge taught me the body can take so much.”  

While she is very proud of the fact that her team came sixth out of the 14 teams taking part in the triathlon, she was delighted to coincidently meet fellow Coventrians competing in the challenge. 

Natalie, a former Mount Nod and Heart of England pupil who is now a drugs and alcohol worker in Manchester, is passionate about supporting causes in her home city as Grapevine is a charity close to her heart after volunteering there in 2000. 

The challenge in Borneo is born out of passion for the region that started in 2001 when Natalie worked for a Voluntary Service Overseas health project in Indonesia working with people with HIV for two years. The £1,500 cost for flights and participating in the Kinabalu challenge was covered by Natalie.  

For more information about sponsoring Natalie go to www.justgiving.com/nataliedodd 

For more information about donating to Grapevine go towww.justgiving/org/grapevine