Ash Dykes finished his third world-first trek #MissionYangtze

Ash Dykes is an adventurer and extreme athlete, holder of 3 world records, a malaria survivor and our Special Ambassador.

When he was 25, the Welsh explorer became the first person to complete a gruelling 1,600-mile trek covering the length of Madagascar via its mountainous ridge. Half way through his adventure, Ash started to feel very weak. His temperature reached 40 degrees, he was delirious and suffering with diarrhoea. When he managed to reach the nearest hospital, he found out he had contracted the deadliest strain of malaria:

I was devastated when I realised it was malaria, my health is hugely important to me and I was worried that the parasite might stay in my body. I wouldn’t wish my experience on anyone, it was truly horrific.

Ash was given treatment immediately and his recovery took almost a week. He then continued his record-setting walk, completing it on 15 February 2016.

Ash’s strength and resilience took him on another epic challenge #MissionYangtze. This time in China. In August 2018 he embarked on his greatest expedition yet. Ash walked the length of the Yangtze’s river in China, a 4,000-mile trek.

China has lived a success story of malaria reduction. From an incidence of 24 million cases in the 70s, the nation has recorded zero indigenous cases of malaria since August 2016. China is now in the final stages of malaria elimination and will soon be eligible to apply for official WHO malaria-free certification.

Malaria is a completely preventable and curable disease, but it still threatens half the world's population. Find out more about the Malaria Must Die campaign.