MANY young people take time out to go travelling but one Kent youngster is preparing for a trip of a very different kind.

Instead of sightseeing in Australia or working in a bar in Ibiza, 20-year-old Zoe Warwick will be walking along the Great Wall of China.

She embarks on the five-day trip in May to raise money for the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

She said: “I did an abseil to raise money for the RNIB earlier this year and they suggested doing the trip to China. I thought it would be a much bigger and better way to raise money for them and raise awareness about the services they offer.”

Zoe, of Oastview, Rainham, will face up to seven hours’ walking each day up steep steps, along dirt tracks and through heavy undergrowth.

She has just begun fund-raising and physical training to prepare herself for the challenge. Zoe has to raise a minimum of £2,500 to be able to go ahead with the trek.

“I will be training twice a week, walking for up to three hours at a time. I have just got back from a holiday in France and I went hiking up lots of hills while I was there.”

She is not a seasoned traveller and is a bit daunted about heading to China by herself.

She said: “I’m nervous and excited. It will be the furthest I have ever travelled on my own, so it’s quite scary.”

The RNIB is the UK’s leading charity for people with sight problems. It offers practical solutions, advice and support services to help people get on with everyday life.

* To sponsor Zoe, call her on 01634 388265 or e-mail warwick_z@hotmail.com