Former Red Arrows pilot with incurable cancer completes 3,200-mile Sahara rally

An RAF pilot who defied warnings that he might never fly again after being diagnosed with incurable blood cancer has completed a 3,200-mile race across the Sahara Desert.

Air Vice Marshall Fin Monahan, from Lincolnshire, set off on the Sahara Banger Rally on 13 October with three fellow pilots to raise money for charity.

The event sees participants travel across the desert in an old car for 17 days.

Fin, a former Red Arrows group captain, who was given his cancer diagnosis in 2009, was joined by three colleagues to battle his way along the original Dakar Rally route, across thousands of miles of sand, rock and gravel through Morocco in scorching heat.

He said: "When I was diagnosed with the rather nasty incurable cancer myeloma, prospects were pretty gloomy, but here I am 13 years later still serving in the RAF and enjoying every day on our beautiful planet with my family and mates, and hoping to give some hope that there is life beyond an incurable diagnosis."

Fin was diagnosed with myeloma in 2009 after experiencing niggling back pain while serving in the Indian military.

He was told he might never fly again, but went on to receive treatment including two stem cell transplants, was promoted to group captain of the Red Arrows and has since received an OBE and gained a PhD.Over the years, he has raised thousands of pounds for Myeloma UK.

The 54-year-old father-of-three and his team raised more than £2,000 for the charity by taking part in the Banger Rally.

He said: "Our vehicle had over 130,000 miles on the clock when we started.

"It was painted up to resemble the iconic Spitfire and Lancaster aircraft of the Second World War and to reflect that all four of us are RAF pilots as well as adventurers."

The crew are also raising funds for the Royal British Legion and West Lancs and Merseyside Myeloma Support Group.

Around 24,000 people in the UK are living with myeloma, which occurs in the bone marrow and tends to affect people over 65.

While it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of cases.

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