DONNA Andrews (63) will be camping under the stars alone for the next 50 days as she completes one of the world’s great long distance walking trails, stretching 1000km from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills to Albany on the WA south coast.

Apart from other walkers she may pass on the trail, and her husband who will meet her every few days for a food drop, Mrs Andrews will be traveling completely solo on the Bibbulmun track.

At the start of the month Mrs Andrews laced up her hiking boots and hit the Bibbulmun track to raise awareness and life-saving funds for melanoma, a cause not only close to her heart, but the hearts of many Australians.

As a registered nurse working in a hospital, Mrs Andrews has cared for countless melanoma patients.  When her husband Steve was diagnosed with stage III melanoma, she feared the worst. After participating in a clinical trial, Steve is seven years cancer free and feels lucky to be a survivor.

“Steve’s journey inspires me to always be pushing my boundaries. While nothing compares with a cancer diagnosis, I feel like this hike draws parallels to the highs and lows of a melanoma journey in a way. It’s about feeling the fear and pain but doing it anyway. It takes courage,” Mrs Andrews, who will celebrate her 64th birthday while on the track, said.

Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world. One person is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes and one person dies from the disease every 6hr. It is the most common cancer affecting 20–39-year-old Australians.

“These statistics are what have driven me to set up this fundraiser for Melanoma Institute Australia. I hope that my hike not only helps raise funds for research but also draws attention to the danger of melanoma and encourages people to think twice about sun safety.”

Mrs Andrew’s 1000km walk began at Kalamunda, and she is planning on reaching Albany on September 28.

People can help Mrs Andrews reach her goal of $1000 ($1 per km of walking) by donating to her community fundraiser and help raise life-saving funds at https://challenge.melanoma.org.au/page/DonnaAndrews